So Efficient is developing software that manages the flow of DSL data through the phone system, especially as telcos bring out services such as video on demand that require more bandwidth.

FORBES: Above the fray

So Efficient is developing software that manages the flow of DSL data through the phone system, especially as telcos bring out services such as video on demand that require more bandwidth.

FORBES: Above the fray

The company offers gear designed to help cable and phone companies squeeze more video capacity out of a limited amount of bandwidth as consumers watch video clips on their computers, demand more channels from their cable companies, and even start to watch television on their wireless phones.

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Given in particular the U.S. military's burgeoning demand for secure, global high-bandwidth, there is much riding on this decision, for America's strategic interests as well as its economic competitiveness in the 21st Century.

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On the wired side, there is concern that bandwidth will not be able to keep up with demand since the companies that build the back-end systems have no real incentive to continue adding capacity.

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Indeed, the pace of data bandwidth expansion at altitude has been significantly motivated not by governments, but by demand for connectivity from passengers, first on business jets and now on airlines where in-flight wi-fi is increasingly considered standard.

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