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Sep 7, 2021
Global Internet Traffic and Capacity Return to Regularly Scheduled Programming
Here's the headline: global internet bandwidth rose by 29% in 2021. You could consider this a return to...
To many people, the concepts of global network infrastructure and bandwidth markets are difficult to grasp. But to those who follow this sector, it's one of the most fundamental building blocks of the global economy.
You’ve likely heard that worldwide bandwidth demand is steadily increasing. A natural follow-up question: why? Who’s generating all of this demand?
Our Transport Networks Research Service is here to help. This research tool—which actively assesses the state of the global telecom capacity market—groups bandwidth users into four categories:
This category includes the carriers that operate public IP networks.
This term refers to websites or organizations that handle the distribution of online content.
Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon, as well as network-based content delivery networks, are all examples of content providers. (Stay updated on their submarine cable holdings over here.)
This segment includes networks run by various research and educational institutions, such as astronomical observatories or universities.
This final category includes dedicated intra-corporate links, media networks, and government capacity.

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Paul Brodsky is a Senior Research Manager at TeleGeography. He is part of the network, internet, cloud, and voice research team. His regional expertise includes Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
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