  ``The Strength of Weak Ties" argument (Granovetter 1973) says that the most
valuable information is best collected through bridging ties with other social
circles than one's own, and that those ties tend to be weak. Aral and Van
Alstyne (2011) added that to access complex information, actors need strong
ties (``high bandwidth") instead. These insights I integrate and generalize by
pointing at actors' benefits and costs. Weak ties are well-suited for
relatively simple information at low costs, whereas for complex information,
the best outcomes are expected for those actors who vary their bandwidths along
with the value of information accessed. To support my claim I use all patents
in the USA (two million) over the period 1975---1999.
