Due to social distancing and the move to online classes, the internet and wireless networks are under unimaginable stress. Internet systems are still being expected to run at high rates and perform as normal, despite the number of users and hours increasing daily.
Federal Communications Commission chief of staff Blair Levin said, “This is going to be an enormous stress test for our communications networks.”
The rate at which businesses are shutting down, schools are switching to online learning, and social network usage is skyrocketing may soon result in an exposed weak point in the complex ecosystem of companies, services and productions that make up the internet, according to CNN.
The numbers alone have become astronomical. Wi-fi calling minutes have increased 47% just since Monday, March 31. Business, home broadband and wireless usage are up 44% in that time period.
With certain cellular networks and internet broadband providers having particular limitations, concern is growing. ABC News reported that the internet as a whole is fine, but residential communities are running into trouble because “the internet around them is not built for this type of usage.”
Companies such as Zoom, a video conferencing platform, have seen such an increase in demand that its stocks rose earlier this month, despite the rollercoaster performance of Wall Street.
“We are confident that our architecture is built to handle these growing levels of activity. Our unified communications platform is architected from the ground up to address the most technologically difficult aspect of communications: video,” Zoom said in a statement to ABC News.
Around the world, internet usage is at an all-time high, but there are some actions that help lighten the load.
According to The New York Times, in Spain at 8 p.m. internet usage lessens, as the hour is when healthcare workers and others managing the crisis leave work and go home. During this time, all others who are stuck in their homes rush to the windows to cheer on and encourage those workers. Telefonica’s Mr. Blanco said, “Suddenly at 8 p.m it goes down, then it goes back up. It is a beautiful thing.”