Problems with Metcalfe’s Law

While accurate in the early stages of network development, it is less accurate for larger networks

Shefali O'Hara
5 min readMay 25, 2024

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Photo by Compare Fibre on Unsplash

In 2006, an article was published in IEEE Spectrum that claimed that Metcalfe’s law was wrong.

Before we delve into the controversy, let’s define what Metcalfe’s law is, as well as its positive and negative aspects.

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Shefali O'Hara

Cancer survivor, writer, engineer. BSEE from MIT, MSEE, and MA in history. Love nature, animals, books, art, and interesting discussions.