Keeping America Connected
Responding to COVID-19
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced tens of millions of Americans to work and learn from the safety of their homes beginning in March 2020, broadband networks provided a critical lifeline that kept our economy moving, students engaged and families connected. Over 78 million homes and businesses rely on the broadband service delivered by cable providers, and these networks met the traffic surge and biggest stress test that the internet has ever faced.
Meeting the challenge that the pandemic placed on broadband networks was helped by years of continued investment and upgrading of networks to stay ahead of consumer demand, including offering gigabit speeds to 80% of American homes. As the pandemic set in, broadband providers worked around the clock to monitor demands placed on the network, add capacity where needed and do whatever was necessary to keep everyone connected.
Even as businesses and schools reopen, robust connectivity is now more important than ever and cable broadband providers will continue to provide the resilient infrastructure that Americans can rely on.
Industry Response
Keeping Everyone Connected
With so many new challenges, we’re stepping up our efforts to provide connectivity to all.
Network Performance: Key Takeaways
Network Readiness
By investing over $170 billion in infrastructure between 2011-2020, cable providers continually upgraded broadband networks and added capacity, increased speeds and enhanced reliability to stay ahead of consumer demand.
Well Designed Architecture
Cable's fiber-rich broadband network is a “smart” architecture that enables 24x7 micro-monitoring so that engineers can see every aspect of network performance, diagnose localized issues and troubleshoot them quickly.
No Signs of Congestion
Throughout the pandemic, provider backbone networks showed no signs of congestion. ISPs also used AI and machine learning to deliver instant capacity and solve network issues ahead of time.
Continuously Upgraded Networks
As internet traffic began to surge, cable providers worked around the clock to add capacity where needed and edged out networks to connect new homes and businesses.
Peak Traffic Growth
Between March 2020 and July 2021, NCTA tracked the performance of cable broadband networks and reported this data via the COVID-19 Internet Dashboard. The chart below shows peak network utilization and internet traffic spikes – both upstream and downstream – during this 17 month span. The dashboard tool was created to transparently highlight how cable internet service providers were handling the unprecedented internet traffic surge caused by the pandemic.
Highlights
Broadband Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of broadband so consumers can stay connected for learning, working, visiting doctors, communicating with family and much more. Cable internet service providers are committed to providing superior network performance, and consumer views reflect that.
Stories about the COVID-19 Pandemic
Over the past year, cable’s broadband networks have been a reliable and powerful workhorse to keep Americans working and learning from home.