Binge-watching in high-def isn’t an act of irresponsibility in a moment of crisis. “The internet as a whole is fine,” agrees Doug Suttles, CEO of the bandwidth-measurement firm Ookla. “It can handle a ton.” Coronavirus-induced traffic during the day still doesn’t exceed the nightly peaks your internet provider should have already designed its systems around.
Getting broadband internet access to rural areas has been a goal for rural advocates and service providers alike for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made such access more important than ever. Seth Arndorfer, the CEO of DCN, which is owned by North Dakota’s independent rural telecommunications companies, said internet usage on the member companies’ systems increased by 10% to 40% during the first 10 days since people in the state were urged to stay home.
Coronavirus response news from the weekend
As life has increasingly moved online during the pandemic, an older generation that grew up in an analog era is facing a digital divide. Often unfamiliar or uncomfortable with apps, gadgets and the internet, many are struggling to keep up with friends and family through digital tools when some of them are craving those connections the most.
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