CONTENT-BASED TRAFFIC WILL ONLY KEEP EXPANDING, WITH BT EXPECTING A DRAMATIC INCREASE TO 2030 We’re only heading further into the digital age, with online traffic continuing to increase. Peaks are higher than ever – largely due to live events, video game updates and television releases, which occasionally coincide. For instance, 6 December – the day before BT’s event – saw a record peak in traffic, with multiple Premier League matches and a major update in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III . This shows that there are still large audiences for O n a grey December day, FEED rode to the ground floor, where company directors from various departments discussed the past, present and future of content distribution – and the policy implications involved. TRAFFIC JAM As one of the world’s largest communications companies, BT Group is responsible for satellites, transmitters, fibre, broadband and mobile services, to name but a few. According to Chris Bramley, BT’s managing director for network applications, services and group network architecture, around 90% of the UK’s content comes through BT Tower. In short, BT keeps the country connected – an invaluable aspect of everyday life. to the top of the iconic BT Tower – of course for the stunning views – but also for an exclusive announcement from the broadcasting behemoth. After a welcome from BT Group, we headed back down
live broadcasts – the royal coronation in 2023, for example, attracted 12 million viewers. That said, TV is gradually migrating to IP. Content- based traffic will only keep expanding, with BT expecting a dramatic increase (500-600%) between now and 2030. With new forms of entertainment, like virtual reality, coming to the fore – combined with a growing number of devices and greater demand for high-quality videos and graphics – connectivity will be more essential than ever. NEW TECH IN TOWN During our discussion, we all landed on the same question: how will communications companies handle this consumer demand technically? After years of market analysis, engineering and testing, BT Group is launching two new technologies. The first, called MAUD – short for multicast-assisted unicast delivery – promises to make content distribution more efficient, sending one copy of a live feed per channel rather than one per viewer. This solution will improve BT’s ability to distribute video streams and support online gaming while reducing network traffic. According to Maria Cuevas, BT’s networks research director, live content is usually delivered via broadcast, unicast or multicast. By combining unicast and multicast, BT is providing end users with the benefits of both, preserving the things that matter most: reliability, cost and picture quality.
TOWER OF POWER The BT Tower not only dominates London’s skyline but, of the UK’s content, 90% comes through its systems
@feedzinesocial
Powered by FlippingBook