Demand for international bandwidth is more than doubling every two years. To meet this demand, companies are investing in existing networks and in new infrastructure.
With the update of data and analysis within our Global Bandwidth Research Service comes a refreshed look at our network pricing intel.
Yes, operators are racing to keep revenue margins ahead of eroding prices, while bandwidth demand and supply continue to grow across global routes. Abundant supply and increasing competition have led to this robust price erosion throughout the global bandwidth market.
New 100 Gbps-equipped submarine cable systems and upgrades to existing networks have further lowered unit costs. And this has driven down both 10 Gbps and 100 Gbps wavelength prices. Across critical global routes, weighted median 10 Gbps and 100 Gbps prices fell an average of 14% and 23% compounded annually since 2016.
The global outbreak of COVID-19—and its associated economic impact—has amplified the role played by the international telecommunications industry and the bandwidth market that underpins it. The global bandwidth market has always been marked by change and uncertainty, and the current crisis is just an extreme example of this.
Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic is a recurring theme across the majority of industry headlines this month.
From reports on usage trends, to the new WFH plight of WAN managers, to Google changing its Chrome release plans to avoid any hiccups in service—coronavirus has permeated the industry from every corner.
You can peruse these stories below. And if you're looking for more updates on how the pandemic is impacting the telecom industry, there's lots more on our State of the Network page. We're curating the latest headlines, network status updates, and reports from service providers.
While most press coverage has focused on the massive impact COVID-19 is having on access networks, let’s not forget the role played by our massive network of undersea cables in global communications.
I wanted to offer some preliminary insights into how the submarine cable industry is coping.
Maybe you've been scrolling through our blogs about recent cable breaks. Or perhaps it just feels like there's been an uptick of cable fault chatter online. Either way, disruptions to service have made their way into a few spring headlines.
But it's worth remembering that where there have been faults, there have also been repairs.
With a new year comes new cables. Today, we're examining five that are set to make their debut in 2020.
One disclaimer: if our 2019 list of cables taught us anything, it's that nothing is a sure thing. So you might recognize one of these from last year's rundown—but it truly looks like this is going to be their year.
As always, we'll highlight the content providers who are involved, ready for service dates, and the stats that make these cables stand out.
Breaking up is hard to do. Cable breaks are no exception.
This month we've had some interesting stories about cable breaks come across our desks, namely the situation in South Africa that saw two incidents in close succession. You can read up on that—as well as the repair process—below.
We also pulled stories on new cables, delayed cables, 5G footprints, and the modern American broadband bill.
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