Maturing Internet - Traffic Growth Rate still 49% With an annual growth rate of 49% in 2005 (April to April) in terms of traffic flowing across Linx the Internet shows first signs of maturation compared to 2004 with 104%.

However the actual amount of traffic with approximately one terabit per second is as high as never before and it's possible to reach three terabit per second by 2008 assuming continuing growth.

Main reason for last year's traffic growth was the popularity of large media file-sharing, for this year's maturation the slowing number of online subscribers and a stabilisation in the prices for net backbone access.

• BBC NEWS | Technology | Maturing net growing more slowly

The Internet continues to be a world-wide entertainment, broadcasting, information and collaboration medium with a commercialization aspect, resulting in an extremely effective transition into electronic commerce, information acquisition and community operations.  ¶ 'Maturing Internet - Traffic Growth Rate still 49%' posted by eA : 1:07 PM