Now that internet backbone operators have adapted their networks to accommodate changes in traffic flows, they've resumed a more measured approach to capacity planning and network upgrades in 2021.
That means that price trends have resumed their downward trajectory and regional characteristics accordingly.
In our latest episode of the WAN Manager Podcast, we dig into sourcing. Our listeners know that we often discuss the migration of large enterprises away from one or two global suppliers for a mostly MPLS network to a novel mix of transport types and suppliers. This is especially true due to changing trends in cloud migration, SD-WAN, and security.
Europe might be a mature bandwidth market, but it still enjoys plenty of network investments and upgrades. And this continued infusion of bandwidth has left its mark on wholesale pricing.
Readers of our Pricing Suite's latest Bandwidth Pricing Report already know that the Middle East serves as both an important node and a crucial transitway for international capacity.
Cable operators were extremely busy between 2011 and 2017 when they turned up nine new cables in the region. But submarine cable activity slowed quite a bit between 2018 and 2020, as no new cables were launched in the region.
The network faced a host of new demands and challenges in 2020, but many of the key trends that characterized the wholesale market prior to the pandemic held true.
Demand growth remains robust. And while the pace of price erosion moderated in many markets over the past year, prices still continued to decline.
Sure, the TeleGeography team was sad to miss out on their annual trip to Honolulu to deliver our yearly telecom workshop. But a virtual event couldn't stop Brianna Boudreau from taking the audience on a trek around the world.
Over the last year we've learned a lot about internet middle mile—that mysterious space between the office and the cloud.
Our team looked closer at what happens between core backbone and local access. We explored provider types, cloud connectivity, and adoption use cases.
And we can't wait to share our findings.
Until 2015, international carrier voice traffic had increased in each of the previous 60 years.
In each of the past four years, paid call volumes have slumped, with no end in sight. International carriers had already suffered from revenue stagnation due to slow traffic growth and falling prices.
The unprecedented occasion of outright traffic decline, however, marked a new and depressing turning point. In reviewing developments from the past year, three major trends stand out.
More so than normal, our team is thrilled to usher in a new year.
Sure, that’s in part because a new year signals the release of our fourth State of the Network Report—and with it a new batch of data and analysis on the way the world is connecting. But mostly because 2020 presented a unique set of challenges to the world, our industry, and our team.
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