Pandemic Impact on Upstream Broadband Usage and Network Capacity

While the broadband industry has weathered the challenge of increased use during the pandemic, a continuing trend – increasing upstream usage – will continue to put pressure on network infrastructures for some time to come. Spurred by homebound workers, students and families, upstream consumption rose by 63% in 2020, 350% of historic rates of growth. And unlike overall usage trends that have shown signs of returning to historic patterns, upstream demand has continued to climb in every quarter during the pandemic. This paper reviews how upstream usage grew as a result of pandemic lockdowns, will compare that growth to historic norms, and will show how operators can contend with high levels of usage when only a few subscribers disproportionately negatively impact the upstream experience for a much greater number of consumers.