[LINK] Australian data traffic figures

[Jan Whitaker]

[the figures are at the end; also check out Leunig's cartoon in the 
tech section of the Age today]
Telstra moves to fix internet traffic jam

http://business.theage.com.au/business/telstra-moves-to-fix-internet-traffic-jam-20090712-dhg3.html



Dan Oakes

July 13, 2009

TELSTRA has boosted its link between Melbourne and Sydney in order to 
cope with a tenfold increase in network traffic between the two cities.

The growth in traffic over the past five years has been caused by the 
boom in internet video and teleconferencing, and by the increasing 
amount of data sent to and from businesses.

According to a study by American communications technology company 
Cisco, global IP (internet protocol) traffic will double every two 
years until 2012, "driven by high-definition video and high-speed 
broadband penetration".

The study also claims that the internet in 2012 will be 75 times 
larger than it was in 2002, generating the equivalent of nearly 7 
billion DVDs each month.

Telstra has spent about three months boosting the capacity of its 
Next IP Sydney-to-Melbourne network. The internet protocol network is 
best described as the large pipe through which voice, video and other 
data flows.

The upgrade does not involve increasing the size of the fibre through 
which the traffic runs, but rather changes to the "active" equipment 
at either end and in the middle of the cable.

"In the past five years, IP traffic on Australian intercapital routes 
has grown tenfold and while this is not having any detrimental impact 
on our customers, it is imperative that we keep ahead of the surge in 
demand for the carriage of voice, data and video," said Michael 
Rocca, Telstra's networks and services group managing director.

Telstra's international IP data traffic increased from 3000 terabits 
a month in January 2006 to about 6900 terabits a month in January 
2008, and would be significantly higher now.

In the same period, overall domestic traffic grew from just under 
4000 terabits a month to about 13,000 terabits.



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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