Report: Demand grows for fiber optic networks

Technology consulting firm Frost & Sullivan has released a new report that shows growing demand for bandwidth is fueling the deployment of more fiber optic networks.

As more and more people take advantage of bandwidth-intensive applications like streaming video and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), there is a danger that the bandwidth demand could cause a major Internet traffic jam in the near future.

As the new Frost & Sullivan report illustrates, that increasing demand should encourage telecom firms to make more investments in super-fast, high capacity fiber optic networks. According to the report,

"[F]iber optic networks, despite their high capital expenditure, are looking as an increasingly viable long-term solution for providing a sustainable customer experience without straining the network."

In fact, upgrading our nation's high speed networks is the only way to keep up with increasingly bandwidth-hungry users. Fortunately, many service providers understand this, and are working on improving their high speed infrastructure. And as Frost & Sullivan notes, around the world,

"Governments and policy makers are actively adopting broadband-friendly policies and offering incentives across the board to improve their standings in broadband league tables."

That hasn't been the case, though, with our federal government here in the U.S. In order to ensure that everyone -- regardless of income or geography -- is plugged in, both the private sector and the government must make a renewed commitment to policies that develop universal high speed Internet access.

Frost & Sullivan: Insatiable Demand for Bandwidth Helps Drive the Global Deployment of Fiber Optic Networks (TMCnet)

Study: Internet traffic jam looms in 2010 (Speed Matters)

Companies continue to expand high speed Internet, despite poor economy (Speed Matters)