Despite predictions that new fiber networks now under construction would lead to a bandwidth glut, many experts are now predicting a bandwidth shortage in coming years.

Mouli Ramani, director of strategic marketing for the optical Internet at Nortel Networks, says demand for bandwidth will increase more than twice as fast as carriers can increase capacity.

In fact, he calculates bandwidth demand will grow to 100 to 200 times today's rate in the next four to five years, thanks to the increased use of DSL and cable modems, the growing number of Internet users, and new applications such as video programming.

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