Google’s big plan coming into fruition
According to Google, video streaming and downloading on the Internet could literately create a bandwidth overload in the Web’s existing infrastructure. This is true; however, Google has known this for quite some time, and has been banking on the day this news touches ground.
The problem arises with Internet Service Providers selling you bandwidth that they just don’t have; they count on the principle that not all users will be on the Internet at the same time.
But times are changing, and the growth in video on the Web is seeming to threaten the speed at which we rely on. Vincent Dureau, Google’s head of TV technology (yes, Internet video has its own department) states, “The web infrastructure – and even Google’s – doesn’t scale, It’s not going to offer the quality of service that consumers expect.”
Most users of the Internet already frequently visit sites like YouTube and Google Video to watch media online; today’s Internet allows us to do this with ease. A much greater threat to Internet traffic is Torrent services, with over 50% of all bandwidth being eaten up by users constantly uploading and downloading video files that average nearly a half of a Gigabyte per file.
These Torrent users only make up 5% of Web users. Torrents allow us to leave our computer running, with a constant connection to the Internet, all while perpetually downloading files for hours upon hours. It’s a great system, but this very freedom is what threatens tomorrow’s Internet.
Richard Alden, chief executive of Spanish cable company ONO states, “Most of the Internet traffic is peer-to-peer, and most of that is video. Every year we have to invest substantially just to maintain the user experience. In fact it has actually decreased.”
Recently, Amazon and TiVo partnered up to offer their new Amazon Unbox on Tivo service. AUT will be available soon for TiVo’s 1.5 million users with broadband-ready TiVo boxes; this will allow subscribers to use the Amazon Unbox video download service to rent or purchase movies, television shows and other videos. The traffic is increasing, and media companies such as TiVo are taking advantage of this unused bandwidth, all at your expense.
Robert X. Cringely, host and writer of the hit PBS-TV miniseries Electric Money, believes Google is relying on Web based Video in an effort to become the Internet; saying, ”It is becoming very obvious what will happen over the next two to three years. More and more of us will be downloading movies and television shows over the net and with that our usage patterns will change.”
Robert’s scary, yet interesting piece, When Being a Verb is Not Enough, claims that Google controls more network fiber than any other organization, and he believes that it is all part of Google’s plan to become the Internet. More video requires more bandwidth; more bandwidth causes ISPs to knock on Google’s door.
Robert said, ”We won’t know if we’re accessing the Internet or Google and for all practical purposes it won’t matter. Google will become our phone company, our cable company, our stereo system and our digital video recorder. Soon, we won’t be able to live without Google”
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