The potential for use of the WiFi network at the event will be dependent on the available bandwidth, the numbers of users and the profile of usage made. If the usage patterns are adversely affecting speakers presentations, we may request delegates to cease usage or to change their usage (e.g. use of low-bandwidth technologies may be permitted but not downloading large files).

This was based on some of the experiences we’d gained at previous events, and as you know, also caused some problems at UKOLN’s Exploiting The Potential Of Blogs and Social Networks Workshop (for info for others, this was when Andy, on behalf of the event organisers, managed the uploading of the video feed into Second Life).

So yes, I’d agree that an understanding of both upstream and downstream bandwidth limitations will need to be considered, especially as uploading multimedia files becomes more mainstream. My approach to this is to try to ensure the participants are aware of the potential problems, and to provide an AUP which will allow us to ask participants to desist from uploading resources if this significantly degrades the experiences for others. Whether this is enforcable is another question, Of course!

I tend to find that the upload bandwidth of conference wireless facilities is pretty poor – so anyone doing informal streaming (or even uploading lots of images to flickr in some cases) can clobber the network for everyone else.

Whether this is a cost worth paying is another matter and can probably only be judged on the day.

In general, I think that conference venues need to try much harder to provide decent wireless facilities (i.e. good bandwidth in both directions) for delegates and as a regular conference organiser this is now something that is very high up our agenda in terms of requirements.

They were streaming the conference as others were blogging or twittering it, most of the time without the knowledge of the organizers but with the consent of the speakers.

My closing keynote was live streamed this way. The image quality is poor, the sound is so so, but this was done on a shoe string and nobody paid for the streaming (that is except ustream).

Also, what about IWMW for ItunesU?