AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile US, Verizon, Comcast, Cox Communications, and others are responding to expected network impacts tied to the growing coronavirus outbreak, with Verizon being the most detailed in announcing plans to increase its capex by $500 million.

Mobile operators AT&T and Verizon have both published details about their response and promoted it on their homepage, but T-Mobile US and Sprint haven’t shared much information publicly. Cable and broadband operators Comcast and Cox have also publicized details about their response. 

The largest domestic broadband and mobile operators employ about 815,000 people combined and maintain services that have become all the more critical in this widespread moment of distress. 

Financial markets are buckling, a recession appears imminent if one isn’t already underway, and millions of professionals — at least those that can and have the resources to meet their responsibilities remotely — are being asked to work from home for the foreseeable future. Moreover, as schools are closed many students and their parents or guardians with readily available connectivity are transitioning to an online learning environment.

These dramatic and abrupt shifts in daily life are also precipitating a potential for increased demand on networks and an atypical dispersion of traffic.

Verizon Boosts 2020 Capex

Verizon said it has not seen a measurable increase in data usage tied to the coronavirus outbreak, but maintains that its networks “are ready should demand increase or usage patterns change significantly.” The company also increased its capex guidance by $500 million, or almost 3%, to a range of $17.5 to $18.5 billion for this year, adding that the additional investment will “accelerate Verizon’s transition to 5G and help support the economy during this period of disruption.”

Usage of Verizon’s network is being closely monitored in the areas most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and the company said it has plans in place to prioritize network demand, if necessary, to meet the needs of hospitals, first responders, and government agencies.

“While this is an unprecedented situation, we know things are changing, and we are ready to adjust network resources as we better understand any shifts in demand,” CTO Kyle Malady said in a prepared statement. 

“While we may see the hours where data usage shifts from evening to daytime, our network peak is built to manage evolving demands. While it is not clear yet how having millions of additional people working from home will impact usage patterns, we are ready to address changes in demand, if needed,” he said.

AT&T Relies on ‘Self-Healing Architectures’

AT&T, likewise, maintains that it has extensive experience in planning for and responding to the coronavirus crises. The company said it uses “self-healing architectures and restoration technologies,” including its Real Time Network Routing system that automatically reroutes circuits to complete calls on more than 134 possible routes.

The operator said its network is performing well, but because more people are working from home and avoiding large gatherings it is seeing fewer spikes in wireless usage around certain hours and towers situated in typically high-traffic areas. 

AT&T also said it is closely monitoring traffic and will continue to make determinations about adding network capacity based on network load and other forecasts. That capacity is managed across four categories: backbone links including the network core, edge, and uplinks; private and public peering links; customer ports on access routers; and “soft limits” on devices.

The operator highlighted a proprietary tool that analyzes network performance to uncover network usage trends, and said its Global Technology Operations Center is constantly identifying and managing IT-related service risks. “The organization has established procedures designed to minimize the risk, the cost, and the duration of disruption to essential business processes in the event of a major crisis or disaster,” according to a company statement.

Light Details from Sprint, T-Mobile US

Sprint and T-Mobile US, which are preparing to finalize a merger and combine operations, are sharing few details about their respective networks’ performance, preparedness, and contingency measures in place to mitigate traffic spikes or geographic shifts in usage tied to the coronavirus issue.

A Sprint spokesperson said its network operations center has “taken steps to ensure that we are able to monitor, optimize, and protect our network at all times.” T-Mobile US did not respond to questions from SDxCentral before press time. 

Neither operator has published anything about the coronavirus on their website. 

Comcast, Cox Respond to Evolving Crisis

Comcast, the largest broadband provider in the country, announced measures to make its offering for low-income families complimentary for new customers for 60 days. It is also increasing speeds for customers on those qualified plans. "As our country continues to manage the COVID-19 emergency, we recognize that our company plays an important role in helping our customers stay connected," Comcast wrote in a statement.

Cox Communications said it has activated its "business continuity plan" for pandemic situations to ensure its services maintain reliability as incidents occur and circumstances evolve. "Our network is built to handle peak use in the evenings to meet the full needs of families' demands," it wrote in a statement. "This same network is available to support our customers if they were at home throughout the day."

Charter Communications, the second-largest broadband provider in the country, hasn't publicly shared any details about its response.