ANALYSIS & OPINION: NETWORK DESIGN
CAN WE FIX IT?
HOW DO WE, AS AN INDUSTRY, BUILD BETTER BROADBAND FOR A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD? THE ANSWER COULD BE FIXED
STEFAAN VANHASTEL A
t the peak of the pandemic, broadband demand went off the charts as families forced into lockdown found themselves having to
work, learn and live entirely online. Zoom video traffic increased ten-fold in a
week. Video and IPTV streaming went up as much as 60 per cent. Virtual Private Network (VPN) use rose 100 per cent. Online gaming grew an incredible 400 per cent in some cases. Te number of simultaneously connected devices also multiplied, as children switched to e-learning, adults adapted to remote working, and everybody watched Netlix – all at the same time.
Tere is litle doubt that Covid-19 will have
a permanent effect on human behaviour. Tis includes our digital behaviour, and will surely be a catalyst for governments, broadband providers, and other interested stakeholders to act. Why? Because broadband has proven itself to be a critical utility during this pandemic, protecting both citizens and economies.
Keep on growing Of course, it was 5G that took the lion’s share of atention in the telecoms industry pre- Covid. But as keen as we all are to see 5G mobile deployments accelerate, the pandemic
28 FiBRE SYSTEMS n Issue 30 n Winter 2021
BROADBAND HAS PROVEN ITSELF TO BE A CRITICAL UTILITY DURING THIS PANDEMIC
has shown it is the fixed networks that have provided the resilience the country needed. During lockdown, fixed networks were
responsible for 70 per cent more traffic than 3G, 4G and 5G combined. Indeed, mobile networks sometimes struggled with degradation in speeds and latency due to congestion, but that is not surprising when you remember that mobile is designed for people on the move, not in lockdown. Mobile networks are, of course, hugely important; however, countries need to find the right balance of fixed and mobile infrastructure for their citizens. Te increase in traffic on fixed networks
has been somewhat of an onslaught. Until now, fixed network operators have been
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