DALLAS, TX – September 10, 2007 – The exaflood, a massive wave of new web video and other bandwidth intensive traffic is headed for the web.  According to data released by the Internet Innovation Alliance, a coalition of non profit organizations and businesses committed to universal broadband access, by the year 2010 approximately 20 households will use as much Internet capacity as the entire world did in 1995. Additionally, forecasts say internet users will generate 161 exabytes of new electronic data this year alone and that 1 exabyte of data, if converted to DVD quality video would take as much as 50,000 years to watch.

With this as a backdrop, Larry Irving, Co-Chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance, will lead the keynote panel at the BBPS on Tuesday, where he will discuss the coming exaflood and how the US needs to prepare its infrastructure. The IIA will also unveil its new website, a blog and a new video.  Other IIA members on the panel include, Dave McClure, President and CEO, U.S. Internet Industry Association and David Kozischek, Manager, Strategic Technology, Corning Cable Systems.

“The impending exaflood of data is cause for excitement, if America and Dallas residents are prepared for it,” said Mr. Irving.  “This issue is critically important for the Dallas – Ft Worth/Austin technology corridor. As early indications show, broadband is an essential infrastructure to this region’s economy and as long as they implement wise public policy that encourage providers to upgrade the networks and meet the challenges of the exaflood, it will produce a significant impact on employment.”

The Dallas economy has been greatly affected by the trend of increasing unemployment.  In fact, unemployment has run about 25 percent higher in Dallas than the surrounding metro area according to the center for Economic Development and Research at the University of North Texas.  A concentration of increased broadband penetration in the area could stifle the growing rate, and according to a study from the Brookings Institute, entitled “The Effects of Broadband Deployment on Output and Employment: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of U.S. Data”, for every one percentage point increase in broadband penetration, employment is projected to increase by .2 or .3 percent per year.

Speaking to the education campaign the IIA is leading, the association’s new website, blog and video is indicative of the growing interest companies and consumers are sharing in better understanding the impact of the coming exaflood.

“In the future, the value to society and individuals will be in our access to broadband and its support of developing technologies and innovations.  The launch of our new website, blog and video furthers our commitment to preaching for universal broadband access and fostering investment in, and access to, broadband technologies,” Mr. Irving says.  “Our members are dedicated to working on practical solutions to enable the exponential explosion of content to flow through the internet’s pipes.”

Highlights of the newly launched features include:

• The website features more interactive images that convey exaflood’s impact on the network and how continued public investment and public policy will keep prices affordable
• The flash video is just one of the highlights from the IIA’s redesigned website that will present a number of critical trends that relate to broadband internet use and the 6.5 million new internet users who are connecting each month, as well as the growth for annual network improvements that is expected to reach $72.5 billion by the end of this year.
• A blog that will allow visitors and IIA members to share their ideas and strategies for developing universal broadband access and how the exaflood may affect their lives.

The Internet Innovation Alliance

Larry Irving and Bruce Mehlman founded the IIA in 2004.  Irving is president and CEO of Irving Information Group, a consulting firm providing strategic advice and assistance to international telecommunications and technology companies.  Mehlman is co-founder of Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti Inc., a bipartisan public affairs consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the Internet Innovation Alliance, please visit their website www.internetinnovation.org

Contact: Sara Spafford
212-446-1879 Direct