How much video conferencing is in your life these days? Are you connecting with coworkers, friends and family over Zoom / Hangouts / WebEx? How about doctors, teachers and fitness instructors? 

Our nation’s internet and phone networks are strong and solid, but it’s no surprise there’s an unprecedented increase in demand and usage. With remote work increasingly the norm, the top of the hour and 30-minute marks are the new “rush hour” on the internet when it comes to conference calls. Good news is, there’s a simple way to help! Together, we can relieve traffic by avoiding peak times. 

Bandwidth is leading the charge to begin meetings at the quarter-hour marks – 15 or 45 minutes past the hour – rather than on the hour or the half hour. This will help distribute the spikes in traffic and alleviate the crunch networks feel when everyone calls in at the same time.

As Nick Sgroi, Bandwidth’s SVP of Voice Network Strategy and Evolution, explains in this blog: “A voice or data network is not unlike a multi-lane highway. They are sized to support anticipated traffic volumes. Lots of cars hitting the road at 5PM and causing a traffic jam is similar to voice and data users all wanting to connect at the top of the hour. If we all do our part to schedule our meetings at 15 or 45 past the hour, it would dramatically reduce the strain on networks and improve everyone’s overall experience.”

Check out Bandwidth’s blog for more details and help us spread the word by using the #Meetat15and45 hashtag. Together, we can relieve phone and internet traffic and increase connectivity for all.