Ethernet inventor Bob Metcalfe says a lot of things have to change before video takes over the Internet

Phil Harvey, Editor-in-Chief

January 3, 2006

2 Min Read
Metcalfe Vouches for Video

Even when he's explaining a statement that's not controversial, Ethernet inventor Bob Metcalfe has a way of stirring things up.

"I've been saying video is the next big thing for some years now and I don't consider it controversial," Metcalfe says during his second interview with LRTV in less than a year. (See Bob Metcalfe, Partner, Polaris Ventures.)

He says it's "obvious the next big thing is video on the Internet and it will just take 10 or 15 years to reengineer the whole Internet so it can carry video in its many forms."

So he's talking about IPTV, right? Not really. Metcalfe says that although television is a form of video, non-televised video will have the biggest potential and will be one of the Internet's "biggest surprises."

"One of the strengths of the Internet is merchandising, and the way we'll sell video merchandising will be an application, video mail, video conferencing, video telephone, video in ways we've yet to imagine," Metcalfe tells LRTV.

Metcalfe, even as a venture partner at Polaris Venture Partners , isn't afraid to say what a lot of people are thinking. When asked if deals such as eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) buying Skype Ltd. are an indicator of more investment hype, Metcalfe let fly with this gem: "I'm looking forward to the next Internet bubble. I don't know what everyone’s so negative about. The last bubble was lots of fun."

So what bets is Metcalfe making to take advantage of the coming "video Internet"? He and Polaris have stakes in companies such as Silicon Optics Inc. , which makes video processing chips for screen displays, and Mintera Corp. , which makes 40-Gbit/s optical transport devices for the network's core, to name a couple.

But he also notes that with more video consumed in more places, the number of cameras will increase, the number of video screens will explode, and consumer software, as we know it now, will have to change to address more video applications. (See Full Transcript of LRTV's Interview With Bob Metcalfe, Inventor of Ethernet and Metcalfe Places Broadband Bets.)

"There'll be new operating systems required; the clunkers we have, you know Windows and Linux, are 25 years old -- they're going to need updating to adequately carry video," Metcalfe says. "What they're doing now is lame."

Now tell us how you really feel...

— Phil Harvey, News Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Phil Harvey

Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

Phil Harvey has been a Light Reading writer and editor for more than 18 years combined. He began his second tour as the site's chief editor in April 2020.

His interest in speed and scale means he often covers optical networking and the foundational technologies powering the modern Internet.

Harvey covered networking, Internet infrastructure and dot-com mania in the late 90s for Silicon Valley magazines like UPSIDE and Red Herring before joining Light Reading (for the first time) in late 2000.

After moving to the Republic of Texas, Harvey spent eight years as a contributing tech writer for D CEO magazine, producing columns about tech advances in everything from supercomputing to cellphone recycling.

Harvey is an avid photographer and camera collector – if you accept that compulsive shopping and "collecting" are the same.

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