WISPA FYI - COVID-19's Effect on Fixed Wireless Network Use

In early Aug, the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) surveyed its WISP providers on the effect the pandemic has had on network use, changes in download and upload traffic, and network responses, among other matters. Usage remains highly asymmetrical during COVID, with only a small minority of customers citing faster upload speeds as a reason for upgrading their service packages where requested. As a consequence of [COVID-19], download traffic and upload traffic surged, pushing our members to upgrade both last-mile and backhaul capacity.   Finally, though customer bandwidth needs have seemingly increased during the pandemic, the most popular service package for consumers is Federal Communications Commission-benchmarked broadband, even where symmetric gigabit services are available.