Coronavirus: boom times for phone networks as people home in

Major telephone networks have experienced a surge of demand for Voice over Wi-Fi services as people operate in lockdown.

Personal trainer Kerri Elliott uses Zoom from her home to train her clients. Picture: Aaron Francis

Australia’s major telephone networks have experienced a surge of demand for Voice over Wi-Fi services­, with Optus recording a Zoom data volume increase of 1125 per cent over the last week of March compared with the month of February.

Optus also recorded a 560 per cent increase in WebEx, a 108 per cent increase in Microsoft Teams and about a 20 per cent increase in fixed voice and mobile voice calls.

Optus networks managing director­ Lambo Kanagaratnam said even though Australians were staying at home, many were still learning, working and finding ­entertainment: “We are just doing it in a different way, with an increased reliance on connectivity.”

Mr Kanagaratnam said Optus experienced a 34 per cent increase in call volumes because of people making about 19 per cent more mobile calls and spending longer on their mobiles. “There are many reasons why we’ve seen an increas­e in calls,” he said.

“More people are studying and working from home but a growing number are using phones to get in touch with government support lines for advice on health and fin­anc­ial assistance.”

Mr Kanagaratnam said overall data usage had increased, with a 26 per cent rise in mobile uploads and fixed-connection uploads jumping 33 per cent.

Vodafone also recorded increased mobile connectivity, with an 85 per cent jump in Voice over Wi-Fi usage in three weeks. A spokeswoman said there had been a change in usage behaviours as more Australians moved to home-based work and education. Calls increased between 11am and 5pm, peaking at 4pm, and voice call ­duration increased by 35 per cent.

Telstra has seen an increase in Voice over Wi-Fi by more than 40 per cent and a 40 per cent rise in mobile uplink traffic, largely driven by video calls and meetings.

Melbourne personal trainer Kerri Elliott started training via Zoom as soon as Vic­toria­ moved to Stage 1 restrictions. “I keep classes at eight (people) purely from my perspective so I can see … and instruc­t them,” she said. “I want quality over quantity.”

Using Zoom has also opened up Ms Elliott’s client base, with new users in Queensland and regional Victoria looking to train.

The downside of virtual training is needing to put a group class on mute, thereby losing rapport and banter. “If I have everybody talking, I can’t focus,” Ms Elliott said. “I use a lot of sign language, thumbs up and thumbs down.”