当前的大流行在一些用户的脑海中提出了一个问题。他们想知道过度使用互联网(Internet)是否会导致互联网崩溃。不，这不可能发生！在这篇文章中，我们将尝试回答一些可能在您脑海中挥之不去的问题。
如果我们要编制一份潜在的互联网(Internet)世界末日情景清单，那么正在进行的冠状病毒爆发很可能是此类清单的一部分——而且原因很明显。在过去的几天里，我们目睹了想知道冠状病毒是否会破坏互联网(Internet)的人数突然增加？
疫情期间，人们被迫在家工作(work from home)，封锁和被迫呆在室内导致对带宽的需求增加——无论是工作、玩游戏还是看视频！互联网(Internet)已成为大多数人的主要娱乐来源，如果不是唯一的话。
过度使用会导致整个互联网(Internet)崩溃吗？
这个问题的答案是——不(NO)！如果在线服务或网站流量超载，则该特定网站或在线服务可能会崩溃，但互联网(Internet)不会崩溃。过度使用(Overuse)并不能摧毁整个互联网(Internet)。当带宽消耗呈指数增长时，从需求和供应的角度来看，速度可能会降低。在线用户越多，您正常获得的速度就越慢。
为了更好地理解这一点，首先，我们需要了解互联网(Internet)是如何工作的。
互联网如何运作？
Internet不依赖于单台计算机或电缆。它是几个独立的网络和计算机的组合。所有连接的计算机和电缆一起可以被认为是互联网(Internet)，因此整个互联网(Internet)崩溃，所有计算机都必须崩溃并且连接电缆被切断。互联网(Internet)太大而且分散，不可能一下子就失败。这几乎是不可能的！
这些网络主要由个人、企业和政府管理、控制和维护。如果网络的某一部分由于某种原因停止工作，用户仍然可以访问Internet。
完全没有问题吗？
首先，网络容量不足并不是真正的问题。大量用户大量使用Internet会导致性能下降。与固定宽带服务不同，移动(Mobile)互联网服务通常受到的影响最大。原因是，突然涌入移动互联网(Internet)的人潮。
互联网(Internet)经常在困难时期和事件中遇到中断，例如多个网络和计算机同时停止服务的大停电。
地震、水下或陆上电缆损坏、太空卫星损坏、太阳活动大、停电、核战争、有针对性的网络战等宏观事件理论上可能导致互联网部分崩溃。(Internet)但这不会关闭互联网(Internet)！
2007年，亚洲(Asia)发生了一系列地震，破坏了海底电缆，进一步在世界一些地区引发了与互联网(Internet)相关的重大问题。但是，世界其他地区仍然可以继续访问互联网(Internet)。
政府可以采取行动
为了应对不断增长的需求，在当前的大流行中，欧盟委员会(Commission)已要求Netflix和YouTube等OTT流媒体服务降低其对欧洲网络网络的系统需求。目的很简单。OTT流媒体和互联网(Internet)公司必须确保其服务在锁定状态期间保持不间断。
根据互联网(Internet)速度测试公司Ookla的数据，自大流行以来，许多亚洲国家的移动宽带下载速度急剧下降(speeds drastically declined)。与此同时，固定宽带互联网服务并没有受到太大影响。
随着越来越多的用户上网，这些公司需要能够承受额外的负担。鉴于大多数大公司都面临着在办公室工作的员工短缺这一事实，主要的科技公司目前无法承受停电的后果。(Major)
底线
据报道，自大流行以来，世界许多地方的互联网(Internet)使用量几乎翻了一番。在我们周围的一切都陷入停滞的充满挑战的情况下，我们日常生活的更多方面自然是数字化路线。事实上，Microsoft Teams和Zoom等远程工作平台的需求持续增长。
以印度为例(India)，一家ISP告诉我们，在每个人都呆在家里的情况下，消费量可能会上升 80%。此外，大多数（90% 以上）用户在上午 9 点到晚上 11 点（IST ）之间访问(IST)互联网(Internet)！许多客户还升级了他们现有的宽带计划，这通常会在很大程度上扩展带宽。
但是，在这种情况下，大多数网络服务提供商(Network Service Providers)( NSP(NSPs) ) 会增加整体带宽，这有助于ISP(ISPs)处理额外的负载。
与此同时，全球数百万人现在每天都在舒适的厨房、客厅和家庭办公室中连接到互联网。因此，对不间断互联网(Internet)服务的需求持续飙升。
做一个负责任的网民，不要创建或分享数字垃圾！始终确保与冠状病毒COVID-19 诈骗、欺诈和网络安全威胁(COVID-19 scams, frauds, and cybersecurity threats)保持安全距离。
Can the whole Internet crash? Can overuse bring down the Internet?
The current pandemic has raised one question in the minds of some users. They wonder if the overuse of the Internet can crash the internet. No, this cannot happen! Іn this post, we will try and answer some questions which may be lingering at the back of your minds.
If we were to compile a list of potential Internet doomsday scenarios, the ongoing coronavirus outbreak is likely to be a part of such lists – and for obvious reasons. Over the last few days, we have witnessed a sudden increase in the number of people who want to know whether coronavirus is going to break the Internet?
During the outbreak, people are forced to work from home, and the lockdowns and the compulsion to stay indoors are resulting in an increased demand for bandwidth – whether it is for working, playing games, or watching the video! The Internet has become the main, if not the only, source of entertainment for most.
Can overuse bring down the whole Internet?
The answer to that question is – NO! In case an online service or website is overloaded with traffic, that particular website or online service could crash, but not the Internet. Overuse cannot bring down the whole Internet. When bandwidth consumption increases exponentially, from a demand and supply perspective, the speed can reduce. The more the users there are online, the lesser is the speed you will get normally.
To get a better understanding of this, first, we need to understand how the Internet works.
How does the Internet work?
The Internet is not dependent on a single computer or a cable. It is a combination of several independent networks and computers. All the connecting computers and the cables together can be considered as the Internet, and so for the whole Internet to crash all the computers would have to crash and the connecting cables cut. The Internet is too big and decentralized to fail all at once. That is near impossible!
These networks are largely governed, controlled, and maintained by individuals, businesses, and governments. If one part of the network stops working for some reason, users will still be able to access the Internet.
Is there absolutely no problem at all?
The lack of capacity in the network is not really a problem, to begin with. The fact that a significant number of users using the Internet in huge numbers induces performance slowdown. Mobile internet services are often the most affected, unlike fixed broadband ones. The reason being, a sudden rush of people on the mobile Internet.
The Internet often experiences outages in difficult times and events such as major power blackouts where multiple networks and computers go out of service at the same time.
Macro events like earthquakes, damage to underwater or over-land cables, damage to space satellites, large solar activity, large power outages, nuclear war, targetted cyberwar, etc., could cause sections of the Internet to crash theoretically. But this will not shut down the Internet!
In 2007, Asia experienced a series of earthquakes that damaged undersea cables, further resulting in major Internet-related issues in some parts of the world. However, the rest of the world still continued access to the Internet.
Governments can swing into action
To endure the ever-increasing demand, in the present pandemic, the European Commission has asked OTT streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube to reduce their system demands on European web networks. The purpose is simple. OTT streaming and Internet companies must ensure that their services remain uninterrupted during the state of lockdown.
According to Internet speed test firm Ookla, mobile broadband download speeds drastically declined in many Asian countries since the pandemic. Meanwhile, fixed broadband internet services didn’t take much of a hit.
As more users come online, these companies need to be capable of accomodating the additional burden. Major technology companies cannot afford to face an outage at the moment, given the fact that most of the major companies are facing a shortage of employees working from offices.
The bottom line
According to reports, Internet usage has almost doubled in many parts of the world since the pandemic. In challenging situations where everything around us comes to a standstill, more aspects of our daily lives naturally the digital route. In fact, remote-work platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom continue to witness increased demand.
In the case of India, an ISP told us that consumption could go up 80% in a situation where everyone is staying at home. Plus, the majority (90% +) of users access the Internet between 9 am to 11 pm (IST)! Many customers also upgrade their existing broadband plans that often stretch the bandwidth to a significant extent.
However, in such a scenario, most Network Service Providers (NSPs) increase the overall bandwidth, which helps ISPs handle the additional load.
Meanwhile, millions of people across the globe are now connecting to the internet from the comfort of their kitchens, living rooms, and home offices every day. As a result, the demand for uninterrupted Internet services continues to skyrocket.
Be a responsible netizen, and don’t create or share digital junk! Always make sure to keep a safe distance from coronavirus COVID-19 scams, frauds, and cybersecurity threats.
