U.S. broadband networks rise to the challengeof surging traffic during the pandemic

Source: GeorgeTown University Published: June 2020

Since the Covid-19 shelter-in-place and lockdowns began, internet traffic has surged and networks in various parts of the world have responded at different levels. Data from Ookla show that the U.S. broadband networks have performed very well, particularly when compared to those of the European Union (EU)and the OECD. Threefactors that may account for that are the high level of investment in telecommunications by U.S.carriers, the prevalence of high-speed fixed-broadband networks in the U.S., and a light-touch regulatory environment.Global internet traffic has exploded It is not unusual, of course, for internet traffic to grow. Cisco VNI predicted that global internet traffic would grow at an annual compounded growth rate of 30% between 2017 and 2022.1What is unusual in the Covid-19 environment is the suddenness of the traffic growth. Rather than growing 30% in a year, traffic grew about that much in a month. Sandvine reports a “staggering increase in volume for network operators to cope with and absorb.”2During March, according to Sandvine, global traffic grew 28.69% with an additional 9.28% during April, for a total of 38% over the two months. Upstream traffic growth was even more stunning, up 123.18% in March before leveling off.

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