David Jelke

Local broadband speeds may be impaired by upload speed. "That upstream is really where we’re in trouble,” said Gary Bolton, the vice president of global marketing at ADTRAN, referring to unprecedented demand for needing to upload content to the internet, mainly the webcam and audio data you need to broadcast to participate in a Zoom meeting. Bolton predicted that this crunch on upstream will lead to an explosion for demand for broadband buildout.

Federal Communications Chairman Ajit Pai identified telemedicine as the industry he is most excited about as a result of the upcoming availability of 1200 megahertz of unlicensed spectrum.  Telehealth “can be a gamechanger,” and he can see the opening of 1200 MHz of unlicensed spectrum giving rise to a future of “Wi-Fi-enabled telehealth,” said Chairman Pai. In addition to telehealth, Pai also mentioned augmented reality gaming, virtual reality and warehouse optimization as important beneficiaries of opening spectrum.

In term of impact on broadband connectivity, “Covid-19 doesn’t even compare to the Superbowl or series finale of Game of Thrones,” said Federal Communications Commission Advisor Evan Swarztrauber. In other words, we're in a "so far, so good" moment: The internet seems to be balancing increased bandwidth demand with supply. Swarzrauber, policy advisor to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, added that more extreme measures to manage internet connectivity are “not necessary at this time,” praising this outcome as “a testament to the strength of the U.S. broadband networks.”