Service providers offer new updates on COVID-19 coronavirus network effects

April 7, 2020

European operator Vodafone reported April 3 that it had seen six months of forecasted demand hit its networks in the previous four weeks.

Stephen Hardy

Communications services providers worldwide offered fresh data in the past week on how network demands are changing in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and how these network operators are handling it. Here’s a roundup:

Figures released April 2, 2020. Downloads include songs, apps, etc.

Verizon continues to report that its network is bearing up well in the face of customer demands. On April 2, the U.S. Tier 1 reported that use of collaboration tools has increased 10X. The company also issued the table at right that highlights other changes in service demand. However, not every aspect of the network has seen increases as more customers work and stay at home. Verizon reports that mobile handoffs – incidences when a mobile data session moves from one cell site to another – have dropped precipitously as customers stay indoors in response to shelter-in-place and related directives. As of April 2, mobile handoffs had dropped -29% nationwide versus a typical day. The decrease was even sharper in such markets as the New York Metro area (-53%), Upstate New York (-49%), the Mid-Atlantic/greater Washington, DC, metro area (-39%), New England (-37%), and Southern California (-35%).

NCTA – The Internet & Television Association has established a webpage in which it aggregates traffic reports from some of its members. As of March 28, aggregated data from members Charter, Comcast, Cox, GCI, and Midco showed downstream bandwidth demands across the U.S. had increased 20.1% for the month, with upstream demands growing by 27.7%.

Operators appear to be moving forward with new installations. TDS announced April 1 that it has launched installations of a new triple-play service package, including gigabit broadband, in Stevens Point, WI.

European operator Vodafone reported April 3 that it had seen six months of forecasted demand hit its networks in the previous four weeks. Mobile data use had increased around 15% across Europe “in recent weeks,” with Spain and Italy showing peaks of 30%. Conversely, demand in Germany and the UK had remained roughly flat. Fixed broadband use increased by more than 50% in Italy and Spain. Videoconferencing has increased wireline upstream bandwidth demand by as much as 100% in some countries, with downstream increasing overall by 44%. Streaming traffic has increased by 40% on mobile and 50% on fixed broadband networks. During peak evening hours, Vodafone says it has seen demands for mobile bandwidth increase by 20% in Italy and Spain and for fixed broadband traffic by around 35%. For these reasons the company has decided to add 4 Tbps of capacity to its networks in March and April.

Telia Carrier Head of Network Engineering & Architecture Johan Gustawsson posted a blog April 1 that details some of the changes in demand the carrier has seen as well as what the models Telia Carrier uses for capacity planning indicate. Peak utilization on the company’s European network grew approximately 35% in March versus February – which is the amount of growth Telia Carrier had expected to see for full year-on-year growth in 2020. Overall on the company’s worldwide network, traffic volumes have growth more than 50%, with major regional differences, the models show.

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.