Network equipment provider Tellabs and research firm IDC Wednesday announced the results of a survey attempting to answer the question if  bandwidth demands of modern and future telecommunications services will “break” the Internet as we know it?

The companies surveyed 372 people at the NXTcomm08 show this week in Las Vegas.  However, the definition of “break” remains nebulous. The survey concerned fixed and wireless networks.

“Of the 51% who see trouble ahead, one out of four think it could happen within two years.  The industry is also increasingly green about energy costs. 69% think energy efficiency is more important than circuit costs when constructing a network,” the companies stated in a joint announcement.

The bluntness of “break” aside, “The findings of this survey make it very plain that bandwidth is not infinite.  Unless there is sufficient investment into new infrastructure, the increased bandwidth demands of new advanced services could well outstrip capacity,” stated IDC’s Lee Doyle, group VP and general manager of network infrastructure.

The increasing frequency of online services that offer television could be a major contributor to stalling content delivery in the next five years, especially for mobile networks, 81% of respondents said.

Tellabs and IDC officials were unavailable for further comment.