Verizon reports on successful network performance during Papal visit
Verizon has issued a report on how their network held up during the recent Papal visit to the United States. According to the carrier, even though parts of the network saw traffic surges to 12 times normal levels during periods of the Pope’s six-day visit, their network was able to handle the influx of additional usage. The biggest bump from users trying to document and share the visit occurred on Sunday morning for the Papal Mass, which was attended by 850,000 people.
Verizon says the World Meeting of Families event on Saturday night was attended by more than 200,000 people and generated considerable extra volume. Even outside of the scheduled events, network traffic was up to ten times normal activity in places like Washington, DC and New York City.
Verizon says they started working on preparations to handle the extra demands on their network almost 18 months ago, investing more than $30 million in the area to beef up its network capacity. Dave Heverling, Northeast Area Vice President with Verizon Wireless noted, “Network strength and reliability are particularly important during large-scale events, and we’re proud of our network’s performance during Pope Francis’s historic visit. All of our preparations and enhancements paid off as our network enabled attendees to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with their friends and family seamlessly.”
You can read the full press release below.
Verizon’s Wireless Network Delivers Strong Performance Throughout Historic Papal Visit
Network Enhancements Proved Successful, Providing Millions with Mobile Connectivity during Pope Francis’s Tour of Washington D.C., New York City and Philadelphia
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