Internet traffic in Japan saw a 78-time increase in 2020 from the 2004 level, partly due to a surge in online communications in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to government data.
Compared to pre-COVID-19 levels in 2019, traffic climbed 1.6 times as the pandemic led to an increase in at-home videoconferencing, distance learning and video streaming.
The surge in traffic has sparked concerns that heavy network congestion may risk a breakdown of online communications, leading the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry to take measures to cushion such a negative impact.