I think we all are amazed at the changes in our lives over the past few weeks. It feels like one day everything was totally normal — we had meetings and lunch dates scheduled. We chatted face to face with our work colleagues. And then we found that the only people we could communicate with face to face are the ones we live with. Or perhaps the wonderful drive-through folks at the grocery store or restaurant.
So all of these changes have one thing in common: if we can’t communicate face to face for business, work, school, extended family and friends, we turn to the internet. How fortunate we are to have social media (most of the time!), Zoom and Facetime and Facebook Messenger, and Netflix and Hulu and YouTube TV. These applications or services are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of everything available to us as we remain at home and yet need to be connected.
At SonicNet, we are seeing triple the traffic on our network during daytime hours. Evening traffic has nearly doubled. We’re not surprised, and we were prepared for this. We just didn’t know why we would need so much extra capacity. But now we do. A virus has stilled the public world. And internet providers of all types are stepping up to make sure we can connect as many households and businesses as possible so that we can all enjoy our time as we shelter at home.
Think about the ways we are communicating today that we weren’t a month or two ago: my extended family now has a Facebook Messenger group. We celebrated my mother’s birthday “all together” this past weekend, via the video chat feature, while getting to see our little ones in Houston and our newlyweds in rural Ohio. Grandma learned a new online skill to see all of us, and we’ve decided to have our get-togethers often moving forward.
Our teachers are learning new online teaching applications, some thought they would never be able to master. But they are! And often with the help of their students, even the first graders.
Our elected officials are moving to online meetings, sometimes invoking new resolutions that permit this method of conducting the business of government.
We are adapting, and we are finding new ways to use this incredible communication highway, the internet.
At SonicNet, we have closed our physical office, but we have open WiFi in our parking lot for anyone who may need that. We are working from home, but no one would know the difference, thanks to the internet. We have modified our installation procedures so that we maintain distance from our customers.
Yes, we are adapting. And when our lives return to a more normal mode, I believe we will continue to maintain our social group chats with those far from us. And I believe companies will understand that many workers can have the flexibility of working from home or conducting online meetings rather than traveling hundreds or thousands of miles.
New changes in the days ahead are likely. We’re here to keep you connected, and most of all we are staying connected with our incredible customers.
Be well, stay safe, and stream on!
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