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Upstream consumption rocketed 63% in 2020 study Fueled by a pandemic that forced millions to work and school from home, 2020 was one for the history books in upstream data consumption, when data flows from the user to the network. OpenVault's latest Broadband Insights study put that trend under its microscope and found that total upstream consumption surged 63% in 2020, roughly 350% higher than historic growth rates.
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(Source: OpenVault) "Pandemic lockdowns changed the nature of upstream usage in all likelihood, forever," OpenVault declared in the study. While security cameras and video uploads are the kinds of services and activities that typically tax the upstream, the increased use of videoconferencing apps was among the primary upstream culprits in 2020. OpenVault notes that a one-hour group call on Zoom can chew up between 360 megabytes to 1.2 gigabytes, depending on the quality OpenVault, which bases its studies on anonymized data from US ISP partners, found that monthly upstream consumption in 2020 peaked at 31 GB by year's end to make up the aforementioned 63% surge over year-end 2019. Amplifying the Zoom situation, the study also found that the biggest boost in consumption in 2020 occurred during business hours with usage exploding 98.5%, from 5.25 GB to 10.42 GB between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. rather than the historic upstream peak period between 8-9 p.m. Additionally, average upstream usage was 0.96 GB on weekdays, 7% higher than it was on the weekends. Among other nuggets, upstream consumption was fairly concentrated, as the top 1% of subscribers accounted for 30% of upstream usage, and the top 5% of subs accounted for about 30%. "During peak hours, it is not uncommon for operators to have a single subscriber account for more than 80% of upstream usage on a given MAC domain," the company said. US cable networks were able to hold up against the upstream strain in 2020, despite a thin slice of spectrum usually between 5MHz-42MHz dedicated to the upstream. However, it's becoming clear that cable operators didn't stand still, as 2020 was marked by increased activity around network node splits, the use of AI-assisted tools and techniques, and a push toward "mid-split" and "high-split" spectrum upgrades that expand the amount cable network capacity dedicated to the upstream. But there was also plenty of upstream channel purchases in traditional cable network gear, with Dell'Oro Group reporting that spending on upstream CMTS channel purchases jumped 43% in 2020.
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— Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor, Light Reading |
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Thursday, December 17, 2020
12:00 p.m. New York / 5:00 p.m. London Todays access network architecture is under mounting pressure due to a continued surge in the number of connected devices, a proliferation of bandwidth-intensive customer applications and dramatic shifts in usage patterns related to the pandemic, such as work-from-home and e-learning. Learn why now is the right time for cable operators to build greenfield networks or expand their existing networks with 10G PON, arming customers with high-speed symmetrical broadband. Gain a clear understanding of the drivers impacting the access network and the various approaches being considered to deliver higher speed services. Plus, find out the best practices that operators are employing as they leverage the latest in passive optical technology to future-proof their networks. Topics to be covered include:
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