US Internet and Telecom Networks Showing Strength with COVID-19

The many changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have given the world’s communications networks an impromptu stress test. Data demand has surged and shifted. “Peak hour” — the busiest period of the day on a network — now hits at different times and extends for longer durations. Signs of stress have shown up in other parts of the world so Americans have begun asking: Do our networks have the capacity to meet this surge in demand? Here’s the bottom line. America’s Internet infrastructure is strong and resilient. We track a range of network performance data from a diverse set of sources — from Internet providers themselves to third-party traffic monitors. The data show that the recent surges in Internet traffic are well within the capacity of US networks.