Busting Bandwidth Myths

Here’s just some of the myths (and realities!) floating around about the worst bandwidth-hogging applications:

• Social Media: Myth. Employees may waste time on Facebook and Twitter, but they are unlikely to be draining your bandwidth with these sites.
• Online Video: Reality. From YouTube to Netflix to Amazon, video is still the biggest culprit when it comes to bandwidth usage.
• Video Conferencing: Both. This one depends on the situation. Hosting your own HD conference will be bandwidth-intensive, but moving it to the cloud can ease some pain, and remote workers are unlikely to be videoconferencing in peak hours.
• Streaming Music: Reality. Continuous streaming and online radio can add up, particularly for services where subscribers keep their music library on the cloud.

What’s the lesson? Bandwidth-heavy, business-critical applications can usually be mitigated with a virtual LAN or another method of segregating users. You could also look at cloud storage and file transfers, particularly for departments that use and move media files. But when it comes to non-critical, even disruptive, bandwidth activities, it’s worthwhile writing an IT policy to help reduce time-wasting and increase your bandwidth potential.

If you’re planning to head to Cologne, Germany for ANGA COM 2013, you may also be interested in registering for a half-day workshop on IPDR and TR-069. Together, these two technologies are key ingredients to managing bandwidth and managing customer devices. Leveraging TR-069 and IPDR will be held on June 3 at Hyatt Regency, Cologne, from 2pm to 4.30pm and is open to all members of the cable industry. Register your interest here.