Data Storage and the NSA

You've seen the pictures of the NSA's new data storage facility in Utah. Maybe you've seen pictures of huge data repositories. We've seen data repositories in movies and so, it would be easy to get the idea that 1 billion phone calls per day would take up a full floor of one of these fictional depictions. The truth is phone call files aren't that big. None of these files combined are that big. In fact, you can configure a home computer (with ribbons to make masters and slaves) to hold 60 terabytes of data (15 x 4 = 60), not that you would; but you could do it. Of course the band width needed to take it all in is another story and it's a long one on the flip side.