Researchers working on the next generation of Internet Framework: Internet2 are experimenting with a means to provide high point to point application dependent bandwidth using a technology called Dynamic Circuit Network. The technology is an enhancement on the concept of circuit switched networks - essentially setting up a direct link between two nodes so that packet routing delays are negated in the transmission of data.

What this means is that, put simply, the technology will rapidly increase the data bandwidth available on internet, which is a must for all the bandwidth guzzling media downloads that is becoming the norm.

An excerpt from Technology Review

“Think of a network that provided hundreds or thousands of high-definition channels and also provided on-demand video capabilities,” says Rick Summerhill, CTO of Internet2. He foresees a commercial network that needs both high bandwidth and high quality of service, like some current academic requirements. “The methods for supporting that network are under investigation.”

The Internet2 has been in the academia for quite a while now and there is no doubt that the research there will contribute to commercial networks in a significant way in course of time. The optimism that researchers have for bandwidth enhancing technologies needs to be tempered with the reality of spam and botnets that could feast on such technologies. There is a serious threat here considering that a major chunk of emails sent out on the web constitutes unsolicited mails (aka spam).

Nevertheless, the Dynamic Circuit Network technology represents progress in developing technologies that can take upon the increase in media based traffic that is burgeoning the Internet infrastructure today.