Upstream traffic on DOCSIS and fiber-based broadband networks continues to rise. The OpenVault Broadband Insights (OVBI) fourth quarter report revealed that investments in higher-speed upstream network plant can pay dividends for fiber and DOCSIS broadband providers. One of the key findings in OVBI’s fourth quarter report was that fiber broadband users consumed more upstream bandwidth than those on a DOCSIS network. As a first-ever point-in-time comparison of fiber vs. DOCSIS subscribers in a selected broadband system, OVBI reports that subscribers on a fiber network with symmetrical 677 Mbps speeds consumed 93.0 GB of upstream bandwidth.

Fiber usage was 66% higher than the 56.0 GB used by subscribers on the same system’s DOCSIS networks, which were provisioned at an average upstream speed of 17.3 Mbps. The report noted that the “fiber comparison suggests that latent upstream demand already exists on DOCSIS networks and is likely to be activated as performance barriers are removed – resulting in rapid scaling of upstream consumption that further shifts.” Overall, OVBI found that upstream usage continued to outpace all other metrics in 2025. The year-end average of 55.86 across fiber and DOCSIS platforms represented a 21.7% year-over-year increase over the 45.9 record in 2024 and a 16.4% increase over 3Q25’s 47.98 GB.

In this podcast, The Broadband Pulse caught up with OpenVault CEO and founder Mark Trudeau about how broadband providers are seeing new upstream traffic growth.

Key moments in this episode

0.00 Opening

0:03 Introduction of the guest

0:30 State of the broadband market Trudeau notes how it emphasizes solutions that help broadband providers operate networks optimally.

1:32 OVBI’s Q4 report findings How upstream bandwidth is outpacing downstream growth.

3:10 Upstream usage drivers A host of factors, including content creation, gaming, teleworking, and AI, are driving a rise in upstream traffic.

4:15 Fiber and DOCSIS While fiber can offer symmetrical services immediately, cable needs to upgrade the upstream DOCSIS path to overcome capacity constraints.

6:0 DOCSIS upstream weapons Cable operators are leveraging split architectures, expanding spectrum and profile management to enhance upstream on their DOCSIS networks.

9:00 Cable’s fiber drive Cable operators, particularly large ones, are deploying last-mile fiber on a case-by-case basis.

10:20 Network stress OVBI examines how steady percentage growth figures can mask progressively larger traffic volumes that place increased stress on provider networks.

11:34 Broadband usage patterns How OVBI measures monthly average usage, average downstream usage, and medium usage.

14:23 Final Thoughts/Closing Mark Trudeau provides the Broadband Pulse with his final thoughts about OVBI’s latest broadband report.

Meet our guest

Mark Trudeau, founder and CEO of OpenVault As a self-proclaimed data geek, Mark is passionate about leveraging data to develop technologies that improve the world. Specifically, he has been instrumental in providing broadband operators with market data to anticipate residential and business broadband trends as well as tools that help service providers optimize network performance, increase revenue, and improve subscriber satisfaction. Growth has been a part of OpenVault’s story. In just the last two years, Trudeau has grown the company through the pandemic, including launching OVBI, an industry-renowned quarterly data report; securing strategic investment from key customers; acquiring a world-class research and development team; and being named twice among the industry’s Top 100 Power Players by Cablefax.

Before founding OpenVault, Trudeau led numerous technology companies through tremendous growth, achieving success for customers and investors. Trudeau served as CEO of Ventraq, a private-equity-backed provider of software-based analytics solutions to the global telecom industry. He also helped to launch and build the wireless business at Omnipoint, the first GSM wireless provider in the New York metropolitan area. He grew up in upstate New York and attended Union College, where he was a multi-sport collegiate athlete, who supports the Red Sox and Dallas Cowboys. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his wife, Lauren. Together, they raised two children.

About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com/podcasts or broadbandpulse.podbean.com/ to stay on top of the latest episodes.

In this episode, we talked with Josh Toriano at Blue Stream Fiber. Toriano was recently promoted to Chief Innovation and AI Officer, recognizing his role in driving Blue Stream Fiber's AI strategy and innovation roadmap.

About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com/podcasts or broadbandpulse.podbean.com/ to stay on top of the latest episodes.

ATIS is addressing the challenge of open-access fiber networks with its recent debut of the Open Access Network Forum (OANF), a group focused on leveraging real-world deployments and helping the market scale through common APIs and implementation guidance.

Led by industry experts from AT&T and COS Systems, the forum promotes scalable, practical solutions for open-access fiber deployment. OANF serves as a collaborative forum for ISPs, open-access infrastructure providers, and technology partners to align on the principles, architectures, and operating models needed to scale open-access fiber in North America.

In this latest Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked to three members of ATIS about the OANF initiative:

• Susan Miller, CEO of ATIS
• Scott Baker, the chair of ATIS' OANF and Corporate ServiceNow Platform Architecture at AT&T Technology Services
• Sajan Parikh, Vice Chair of ATIS' OANF and the CTO of COS Systems

About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com/podcasts or broadbandpulse.podbean.com/ to stay on top of the latest episodes.