Cyberspace is an enormous invisible world that connects millions of computers to each other. Data, files, and graphics flow in the zigzag of paths in the information highway. Millions of bytes of information flow every day from all paths emanating from all the continents. When Internet node was established in the 1960s, information flowed among forty computers. For nearly twenty years, the Internet was kept away from the public domain by restricting access to defense and research purposes. During this period, information flow between nodes doubled every year. This depended on the performance of the computer; and the performance of the chips doubled every eighteen months. The information highway is composed of computers, packet switches, routers, and optic fiber cables. Information travels from the sender to the receiver by hopping through a number of computers and routers in its path. Internet traffic is defined as the number of bits of data flowing in the highway during a specified period. Internet traffic is determined by cost per bit of traffic flow. The cost is dependent upon the processor cost, communication cost, and trunk cost. The processor cost is determined by the performance of the semiconductor, which doubles every eighteen months according to Moores law. Communication cost depends upon the switching mode. Trunk cost depends upon the carrying capacity of the medium. Internet traffic is composed of mails, web pages, and voice. The growth of data traffic is so high that it has overtaken voice traffic over the years. Currently, traffic is expanding four times per year and maturation is taking place, which can be seen by consolidation of broadband services. The majority of Internet traffic is contributed by developed countries but traffic from developing countries is growing. The poor rate of Internet traffic is attributed to the absence of traffic infrastructure and low level of computer penetration. |
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