Coronavirus is putting America’s broadband network to the test. How much can it handle?

With millions of Americans working from home, children out of school, and theaters, bars and restaurants closing amid the coronavirus outbreak, the internet is seeing more use than normal.

Verizon reports that data usage is spiking significantly, with web traffic increasing 20%, video traffic by 12%, gaming by 75% and VPN usage by 34%.

“We’re in an unprecedented situation,” said Kyle Malady, Verizon’s chief technology officer. “While it is not clear yet how having millions of additional people working from home will impact usage patterns, we remain ready to address changes in demand, if needed.”

While America’s broadband infrastructure is no stranger to heavy use, some experts say technical difficulties are to be expected — more so for some than others.

Unlike schools or corporate offices, most homes aren’t equipped to handle a lot of traffic. So if everybody is streaming, gaming and teleconferencing at once, it’s bound to cause problems, Fortune reported. Issues could include slower download speeds, lost video feeds and dropped connections.

“People will hit congestion, just like a highway, where the speed goes from 60 miles an hour to 20,” one expert told the magazine.

U.S. broadband providers have expressed confidence in their ability to handle the increasing traffic, while simultaneously making moves to increase internet speeds and access.

Cox Communications announced last week that it would be boosting performance on a host of packages. Similarly, Comcast has begun implementing free WiFi hotspots nationwide.

“During these uncertain times, we don’t want our residential customers to worry about their internet connection,” Cox Communications CEO Pat Esser said.

“Our network is built to handle peak use day and night to meet the full needs of families’ demands for entertainment, school assignments and late-night deadlines.”

This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 1:42 PM with the headline "Coronavirus is putting America’s broadband network to the test. How much can it handle?."