Bandwidth limitations

pmetzger@lehman.com (Perry Metzger) writes:

>Doug Merritt says:

>> I hate to disagree, considering that I prefer to agree with the philosophy
>> here, but it *can't* work that way, regardless of what we wish.
>> 
>> The problem is that bandwidth is a highly limited resource, just like
>> real estate is a limited resource. Eventually we will complete saturate
>> network bandwidth no matter what technology is used.

>I don't know about you, but I personally can't produce more than 750
>simultaneous videos at once for network distribution, so I suppose I'm
>uninteresting, but even the people who can do more than that are
>likely going to be fine. If they aren't, well, I suppose they could
>get TWO fibers coming into their home, or maybe even TEN or ONE
>HUNDRED if necessary.

>I suspect that we have a wee bit longer to go than that. When people
>start faxing themselves regularly we may have to go to slightly more
>exotic technologies.

Apparently, information-theoretically, there is a limit to the
bandwidth available in any given area of space before overlapping
of signal occurs.  

While I don't agree that it is likely to occur soon, eventually
we will hit an information bottleneck; probably somewhere after
we manage to use subquantal particles as signal-carriers.

Our current system would, indeed, allow people to fax themselves
regularly; in fact, I occasionally fax things to myself already.
However, when people start doing genuinely exotic things, such
as emailing their entire genome to their doctor; or emailing
vast files on self-administered MRI tests to the hospital;
or transmitting graphical images of components for something
as simple as factory work; then we'll seriously have to think
about theoretical bandwidth limitations.

However, with any luck we'll be off the planet, and will have
the infinite bandwidth we need by the time we need it.
----
Robert W. F. Clark                   PGP Key Available Upon Request
rclark@nyx.cs.du.edu
clark@metal.psu.edu

Clark Reynard says:
> However, when people start doing genuinely exotic things, such
> as emailing their entire genome to their doctor;

The human genome fits nicely in 1GB. Mere Gigabit networks could allow
you to send your whole genome in seconds -- and fiber can do many
orders of magnitude better than that.

> or emailing
> vast files on self-administered MRI tests to the hospital;

A complete MRI scan can be sent on a gigabit network in mere moments,
too, and again, fiber can do far better than that.

> or transmitting graphical images of components for something
> as simple as factory work;

If you can send a thousand video signals down your fiber at once,
sending complete plans for a factory to build Fords, and the complete
plans for the cars, will likely take a wink of an eye.


Perry