News

Major surge in network traffic reported

May 2, 2020 7:53 am

Minister for Communication Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has called on internet service providers to be ready for an increase in data usage on a long term basis.

Sayed-Khaiyum says data usage during the COVID-19 crisis has been at an all-time high, and this could very well be the new benchmark going forward.

He says an increase in internet data traffic is a reflection of how people access more streaming content such as Netflix and Youtube as well as other social media.

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“Parents are downloading materials at night to print off for their children, a lot more people are using data to keep in touch with each other, and so there may be a certain time of the day where downloads are very slow.”

Sayed-Khaiyum says internet service providers must be ready to come up with innovative ideas to meet data demand.

Digicel Fiji Chief Executive Farid Mohammed says traffic has risen by forty percent with indications that it may go even higher.

“The peak traffic that we see during the day is from the main CBD areas where workers are coming into the office etc. but the dynamic has changed we are seeing an increase in traffic from residential areas.”

Mohammed says they are consistently monitoring network quality during this period to avoid connectivity issues.

Vodafone Fiji has also reported a major surge in network traffic saying they are consistently monitoring performance to ensure its users have consistent reliable connectivity.