A majority of telecom professionals contacted by research firm IDC and Tellabs (News - Alert) believe the internet may break down over the next couple of years if people continue to use the World Wide Web for video.

 

The survey revealed half of respondents believe bandwidth demands will eventually break the Internet, with the other half saying they won't. Of the 51 percent who see trouble ahead, one out of four think it could happen within two years.

 

"The findings of this survey make it very plain that bandwidth is not infinite," said Lee Doyle, a group vice president at IDC (News - Alert). "Unless there is sufficient investment into new infrastructure, the increased bandwidth demands of new advanced services could well outstrip capacity."

 

Because video requires a lot of bandwidth there is a big threat to the survival of Internet, said the research firm. Nearly 40 percent of respondents said video traffic will increase to 75 percent of overall Internet traffic in five years. Today, video comprises just 30 percent of the net traffic.

 

Tellabs and research firm IDC conducted the survey of 372 telecom industry professionals, and tracked respondents' views on Internet use, the challenges providers face, and how those challenges will affect tomorrow's networks.

 

69 percent of those surveyed said that in a network environment, energy consumption is more important than circuit costs.

 

Nearly 80 percent of them expect that over the next two years, operators will face greater demand for mobile broadband services in Europe than North America.

 

"Internet access has become essential for millions of Americans and the appetite for bandwidth is putting pressure on service provider networks," said Dan Kelly, executive vice president of global products for Tellabs.