Service Providers on Subscriber Experience, COVID, and Disruptive Network Trends

There’s no question that 2020 will always carry the negative connotations of COVID-19 with its accompanying lockdowns and social distancing. But, at a macro level, there was a broad positive for communications service providers (CSPs) in that 2020 was a proving ground for their networks. Their networks were tested by millions of people working and educating their children from home, and could easily have been overwhelmed as users battled the isolation of lockdowns through streaming, gaming and conferencing.

Despite huge increases in network traffic, service providers say their networks largely met the challenges created by the pandemic. Yet the massive uptick in unplanned network usage has brought into stark relief the importance of test, measurement and assurance. In creating this report, we directly surveyed communications service providers to assess how they fared in 2020, their perspectives on the importance of test, measurement and assurance, and where their priorities will lead them in 2021 and beyond.