Self-isolating and working from home as a precaution against coronavirus could overload broadband networks and cause internet ‘bottlenecks’, experts warn
- Many companies have implemented a mandatory work from home policy
- It is hoped avoiding offices will prevent employees contracting coronavirus
- Experts warn the added strain could cause some connection difficulties
- Domestic broadband with old copper wires could see a bottleneck of data
Many companies have implemented a mandatory work from home policy as a precaution against coronavirus but widespread adoption could lead to internet connectivity issues, experts warn.
The added strain of remote access, video conferencing and the use of VPNs may cause some difficulties for the internet’s infrastructure.
Domestic broadband for customers served by an antiquated copper-wire network would be worst affected and could see a data bottleneck.
Technology firms that have high data demands, such as Twitter, Google, Facebook and Microsoft, are among the companies banning staff from its offices.
The virus has so far infected more than 100,000 people around the world, including 163 in the UK, and killed at least 3,400 people.
The added strain of remote access, video conferencing and the use of VPNs could cause some difficulties for the internet’s infrastructure. Domestic broadband for customers served by the antiquated copper-wire network would be first affected and could see a data bottleneck (Stock)
Lisa Pierce, a network expert with Gartner in the US, told Bloomberg Quint: ‘The weak link in the chain, where the system could get overloaded, is going to be the home broadband network.
‘People will hit congestion, just like a highway, where the speed goes from 60 miles an hour to 20.’
But the fears of Ms Pierce are not shared by Openreach, the UK’s biggest provider of broadband to homes.
The BT-owned telecoms company told MailOnline it is built to support a so-called ‘evening peak’ network capacity, which it defines as ten times the typical daytime (working hours) demand.
This spike in internet usage comes from the data-intensive video streaming of films, TV programmes and sports.
The company is confident it could handle home-working on a mass scale, as could happen should the COVID-19 virus worsen.
Customers with slow internet, served by the antiquated copper-wire network would be first affected.
The likelihood of the internet being completely overwhelmed is slim but some disruption is possible.
Technology firms that have high data demands, such as Twitter, Google, Facebook and Microsoft are among the companies banning staff from its offices. The virus has infected more than 100,000 people around the world, including 163 in the UK, and killed 3,400 people
Jeff McElfresh, chief executive officer of AT&T Communications, said: ‘Video is already 70 per cent of all network traffic.
‘The moment you add in videoconferencing to all the shows the kids are watching because schools are closed, it could be a problem if everyone is trying to get on at the same time.’
Working from home on a mass-scale is fraught with hazards as recent comments from Dr Asma Adnane from Loughborough University reveal it increases the likelihood of being hacked.
Being outside the office and without access to a secure local network means devices are provided with weak security settings.
Dr Adnane advises using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which encrypts data travelling between a user’s computer and the work network.
It has been predicted that if the coronavirus outbreak worsens the up to a fifth of UK workers could be off sick.
Today, Facebook and Microsoft joined other US tech companies in introducing new policies to stop the spread of deadly coronavirus.
Facebook told employees in its San Francisco Bay offices to stay at home and cancel all business trips due to the virus.