Report: Upstream data growing twice the rate of downstream
November 14, 2024
The shift in broadband consumption reached a new milestone in the third quarter of 2024, as upstream usage increased at a rate that was more than double that of downstream growth.
The findings were reported in the latest edition of the OpenVault Broadband Insights (OVBI) report issued by OpenVault, a source of SaaS-based revenue and network improvement solutions and data-driven insights for the broadband industry.
According to the report, year-over-year upstream growth ticked higher to 13.9 per cent in Q3 2024, while downstream usage increased just 6.8 per cent – the lowest figure since OpenVault began breaking out downstream and upstream data in 2017. Overall growth was 7.2 per cent, the lowest year-over-year rate recorded by OpenVault.
The expanding gap between upstream and downstream growth rates continues a trend that OpenVault analysis has identified throughout the modern broadband era: With the exception of the pandemic, downstream growth rates have slowed each year, while the rate of increase in the upstream has trended steadily upward, even as the total volume of downstream and upstream usage continues to rise.
“Addressing upstream constraints within the DOCSIS environment will be essential as subscriber behavior evolves, putting added pressure on networks,” the report notes. “With upstream data usage now growing at more than twice the rate of downstream usage, the need for ongoing monitoring and network adaptability to maintain high Quality of Experience amid rising demand is crucial.”
In addition to the focus on upstream and downstream growth rates, the Q3 2024 OVBI report also looked for the first time at usage by selected demographic groups. Among the findings:
- Households with incomes under $50,000 per year had the highest average monthly data usage (639 GB), despite having the slowest average internet speeds (530 Mbps).
- Consumption and speeds ranged from 397 GB and 578 Mbps for a single-person household, to 1.125 TB and 833 Mbps for a household of four.
- Speeds and subscriber behaviour were consistent between urban and rural markets, demonstrating the impact of providers’ upgrades in rural areas.