05 Nov 2009

Homeworker boom could create "internet congestion"

The dramatic increase in businesses embracing flexible working conditions for their staff could put a strain on internet services in the UK in the future, it has been claimed.

Richard Webb, directing analyst for wireless at Infonetics Research, said the growth in the number of people working from home and using the internet to send large amounts of data has the possibility of overloading existing web services.

"If you're tossing large files around or downloading mp3s and videos, which are large pieces of traffic, then it's the equivalent of trying to drive a large lorry down a cycle path," he commented.

Mr Webb added that network solutions therefore need to be expanded to avoid any "internet congestion" issues.

According to a recent report by Gartner, businesses need to develop alternative net solutions to their current infrastructure.

Examples of these include installing extra software on computers to optimise internet use, or employing browser applets (virtual servers) that reduce bandwidth consumption.