Something else to worry about in a pandemic - Internet overload
Doctors advise people who suspect they have the flu to stay home. But a congressional subcommittee wondered whether that advice could lead to an unintended online crisis.
In the old days, when you stayed home sick, you read a book or watched TV. Congressman Dan Lungren says these days, people surf the Web. The Republican from suburban Sacramento cites a warning from the Government Accountability Office.
"Concerns exist that more severe pandemic outbreak than this year’s could cause large numbers of people staying at home to increase their Internet use – and overwhelm the Internet provider’s network capacities," said Lungren.
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security assured Lungren and other members of the Homeland Security subcommittee they’re well aware of the potential problem. If bandwidth is overwhelmed, commerce could grind to a halt – and even national security could be compromised.
What are they doing about it? Homeland Security officials say they’re working on a report that will look at solutions.
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- Government Accountability Office
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