Network capacity is substantially higher today than it was 10 years ago

For example, the I-Net has more sites connected and the available bandwidth and utilization has increased. Data communications with higher capacity requirements, such as geospatial files, video communications, and “big pipe” aggregated access to the Internet, have been the primary contributors to the need for higher network capacity on the I-Net for public agencies. Additionally, capacity for growth has been built into today’s networks, for increased video communications (e.g., video monitoring and surveillance, internal and external video communications, aggregating video from squad cars, fire apparatus, body cams, etc., for public safety purposes, etc.);a host of new “big data” applications to ultimately provide as open data for residential and business use (including 3D modeling, 360-video and other graphic intensive data); and Smart Cities applications driven by A.I.. Although a lot of Smart Cities applications are based on low capacity monitoring, control and telemetry types of data communications, the wealth of them added together will continue to push the need for higher bandwidth on public agency networks.

The demand on capacity for public WiFi has increased over the last 10 years which has pushed the need for, even if its segmented or partitioned on a public agency network, higher overall bandwidth, including higher overall back-haul and higher per site connection bandwidth. 

Regarding private networks, consumer demand has escalated exponentially over the last 10 years. Some of the technologies facilitating today’s private networks, include new cellular broadband technologies through 5G (Fifth generation or Next Gen), higher capability portable computing devices (many smartphones today have more computing capacity than some desktops did ten years ago), and an increased level of sophistication in miniaturization of communications technology components as well as in all types of applications and ancillary devices (such as health monitoring devices and applications) that work in tandem with the smartphone. Paraphrasing one technology analyst, “there will never be enough bandwidth, but there will always be a push to develop more”.