MIAMI, April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fiber broadband upstream usage exceeded 100 GB for the first time and the upstream usage gap between Fiber and DOCSIS subscribers widened dramatically in the first three months of 2026, according to preliminary first quarter data shared by OpenVault.
On the Fiber For Breakfast podcast last week, OpenVault CEO and Co-founder Mark Trudeau disclosed new results of the company’s analysis of Fiber vs. DOCSIS trends. With host Gary Bolton, President and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, and Jeff Heynen, Vice President of Broadband Access and Home Networking for the Dell’Oro Group, Trudeau discussed how the greater capacity and speeds of symmetrical fiber networks are driving increased usage, especially in the upstream.
Data collected from systems with Fiber and DOCSIS architectures in 1Q26 showed that:
- Average upstream on fiber networks was 106.7 GB, the first time average upstream traffic has exceeded the 100 GB mark.
- The fiber upstream average of 106.7 GB was 87.4% higher than the 56.9 GB consumed by subscribers on the systems’ DOCSIS networks.
- The average provisioned upstream speed of 556 Mbps on fiber networks was 1187.4% faster than the 43 Mbps upstream on DOCSIS networks.
- Fiber subscribers’ average total usage of 943.4 GB was 30.9% higher than DOCSIS subscribers’ 720.5 GB; median fiber usage of 721.0 GB topped the DOCSIS median of 496.0 by 45.4%.
OpenVault first reported on the Fiber vs. DOCSIS delta in the 4Q 2025 edition of the OpenVault Broadband Insights (OVBI) report. OpenVault noted at the time that fiber upstream average usage of 93.0 GB was 66% higher than the 56.0 GB used by subscribers on the same system’s DOCSIS networks.
OpenVault will share more details when the 1Q26 OVBI report is released in May, ahead of the company’s presence at Fiber Connect 2026 May 17-20 in Nashville and ANGACOM May 19-21 in Cologne, Germany. Meetings at both shows can be arranged by emailing sales@openvault.com. Those interested in receiving the 1Q26 OVBI report can register to be included in the distribution at www.openvault.com.
About OpenVault
OpenVault and OpenVault Europe GmbH are market-leading sources of network agnostic broadband technology solutions and data-driven insights into worldwide broadband consumption patterns. Using the companies’ solutions, service providers can optimize network performance, increase revenue, and improve subscriber satisfaction. OpenVault and OpenVault Europe aggregate and analyze the data collected from broadband networks to provide unparalleled granular views of consumer usage and network health. This data analysis drives a suite of actionable and automated solutions that dramatically improve subscribers’ Quality of Experience, providing operators with tremendous value through software while avoiding the need for large-scale infrastructure spending.
For more information, please visit openvault.com.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Kristen Nihamin at knihamin@openvault.com or 917-509-9028
Paul Schneider at paul@paulschneiderpr.com or 215-817-4384
