Kurt Nimmo TruthNews November 24, 2007

“Consumer and corporate use of the Internet could overload the current capacity and lead to brown-outs in two years unless backbone providers invest billions of dollars in new infrastructure, according to a study released last week,” reports the Washington Post. “A flood of new video and other Web content could overwhelm the Internet by 2010 unless backbone providers invest up to $137 billion in new capacity, more than double what service providers plan to invest, according to the study, by Nemertes Research Group, an independent analysis firm. In North America alone, backbone investments of $42 billion to $55 billion will be needed in the next three to five years to keep up with demand, Nemertes said.”

But since most telecoms are monopolies or strive to practice monopolistic business practices, they are not inclined to make the investment required. Instead, as usual, the telecoms will rely on socialism, that is to say corporate socialism—they will expect the government to solve the problem and since the government is a one trick pony and basically an incorrigible thief with a gun, the solution will arise in the form of new taxes.

“U.S. lawmakers can also help in several ways,” said Bruce Mehlman of Internet Innovation Alliance, an “advocacy” group, that is to say an organization advocating stealing from one group of people to give to another. “For example, the U.S. Congress could require that home contractors who receive government assistance for building affordable housing include broadband connections in their houses, he said. Congress could also provide tax credits to help broadband providers add more capacity, he said.”

“Consumers also pay high taxes for telecommunication services, averaging about 13 percent on some telecom services, similar to the tax rate on tobacco and alcohol, Mehlman said. One tax on telecom service has remained in place since the 1898 Spanish-American War, when few U.S. residents had telephones, he noted.”

“It takes a digital village,” he said. “Certainly, infrastructure providers have plenty to do. You’ve seen billions in investment, and you’re seeing ongoing billions more.”

Indeed, they have plenty to do, now that an “exaflood” is on the way, and it will take a “digital village” to pay for it all in the form of higher compulsory taxes.