Verizon said that gaming appears to be a major source of diversion for folks practicing in-home social distancing. That would make sense given that millions of kids can't go to school.
According to the network's latest week-over-week network report, during peak hour usage, gaming was up 75%. VVPN usage was up by more than a third (see chart), with overall Web traffic up by a little under 20% and video streaming up 12%. Social media use was actually flat.
“As we see more and more individuals work from home and students engage in online learning, it is a natural byproduct that we would see an increase in web traffic and access to VPN," said Verizon CTO Kyle Malady. "And as more entertainment options are cancelled in communities across the U.S., an increase in video traffic and online gaming is not surprising."
