The network is architected to support that kind of business model. The traffic average across our interconnect is at 13 to 14 Gbps over a 24 hour period. Our peak is about 1.8 Gbps. If you look at dial-up users, their range is from zero to 50 Kbps. Broadband users go from idle to 3 Mbps in net bandwidth per subscriber.
Users spend more time online, and because they have higher bandwidth they send more bytes and bits.
Not only is there web, mail and news traffic, but there are services like Napster and Internet gaming. There is also a tendency for first time broadband users, when they come on the network, to get excited and download everything in sight, whether it's MP3 files or video clips. We have the first phase of automated provisioning deployed with several cable operators using our API and we have a retail program with RadioShack that has been pretty successful. We're now testing the second phase where the phone call to the MSO can be eliminated during a self-install. What you really want is a service where subscribers can join a multicast group on an access control basis, but not really send data into the group at all, really making it receive only.