Over the past few months, we have all seen first-hand the essential role the internet plays in keeping us all connected. Whether you’ve Facetimed with loved ones, attended a telehealth virtual appointment, Zoomed with colleagues, or used a VPN to securely access resources for remote work, we have all been relying on wi-fi connections to stay connected to each other, our work, and various other essential functions amid the crisis.
That’s what the internet does best – help form connections between people and information and bring people together from all around the globe. In celebration of that essential role, the Wireless Broadband Alliance have organised World Wi-Fi Day on June 20th to “recognise and celebrate the significant role wi-fi is playing in connecting cities and communities around the world.”
As the crisis evolved this spring, internet usage grew exponentially. One carrier reported 30-40% growth in traffic since the shutdowns began – nearly overnight, a growth rate they were previously expecting to see over the next three to four years. Internet usage has spiked significantly in the areas of VPN and video conferencing as businesses increasingly relied on web-based tools and connectivity to maintain business continuity despite the shift to remote work. Residential networks became the new business networks, and with researchers predicting that 25-30% of the workforce will still be working remotely by the end of 2021, the massive growth in residential internet traffic is unlikely to go away completely.
This explosive growth of wi-fi connectivity in such a short time has presented new connectivity needs for businesses and network providers alike. Businesses need reliable, high-performance connectivity to keep core operations running smoothly, making sure employees have the connectivity they need to achieve optimal performance and productivity and continue delivering excellent services to customers. Interconnection hubs and internet exchanges have been more important than ever, helping telcos upgrade their edge interconnection strategies to provide better service to customers.
The role of colocation
In order to be truly prepared for increases in connectivity needs – whether due to an unforeseen crisis or to leverage the increasingly massive amounts of data generated by new technologies like the Internet of Things and 5G – enterprises must ensure that flexibility, security, and resilience are built into their IT architecture. As the backbone of our digital society, data centres enable enterprises and consumers to connect to the internet. Colocation data centres are the ideal platform to base the network on, offering direct access to many different Internet Exchanges and Internet Service Providers.
This choice of multiple network operators offered by carrier-neutral colocation facilities provides enterprises with greater network resilience. By creating multiple points of presence across different colocation facilities, enterprises can decrease their reliance on any single data centre being fully operational. Colocation enables enterprises to tackle today’s challenges and future proof their infrastructure.
With access to more than 250 Internet service providers and 21 leading Internet exchanges within our data centres, Interxion is constantly working to offer enterprises the connectivity they need to thrive, no matter what circumstances arise, including risks to business continuity. That’s something that should be celebrated, on World Wi-Fi Day, and every day.
To learn more about Interxion’s connectivity options, click here.