Google near maximum capacity

[CheeseSlice]

Coronavirus seems to be affecting everything lately, even internet giants like Google.

In March: Google's Gmail and Drive suffer global outages

Google has been hit by outages in a host of countries around the world, with users reporting issues with Gmail, Google Drive, Hangouts and Google Maps for several hours.

Various websites that track Gmail problems and outages, showed a spike in users reporting problems with the email service from about 1pm AEDT (2am GMT).

In a statement on their service website, Google said: “We’re investigating reports of an issue with Gmail. We will provide more information shortly. The affected users are able to access Gmail, but are seeing error messages, high latency, and/or other unexpected behaviour.”

Then this week: Google outage hits Gmail, Snapchat and Nest

A brief outage on Google’s Cloud Platform led to failures at Gmail, Snapchat and the smart home company Nest on Wednesday afternoon.

Only brief? doesn't sound too bad then..

Then a short hastily written press release from Google pops up on my Linkedin feed. This article covers it in more detail.

Google gets federal OK to operate subsea cable from Taiwan to US as it nears maximum capacity in Asia

Google has received clearance from federal regulators to operate a sub-sea level cable system after saying it needs more connectivity capacity.

The company applied for the clearance on April 2, saying it had an “immediate need” as it saw a potential for its systems to reach maximum capacity in the Asia-Pacific region within the next six months

So basically, Google or the internet is close to falling apart, and has had to borrow physical capacity from the US government just to keep going through the crisis.

It makes me wonder how all of the Telco's out there are doing during the crisis. Some serious investment is going to be needed if our future is home working, video conferencing, etc.

[NickFitz]

Is there still shedloads of dark fibre around the world? Or has Netflix used it all up streaming B movies and sitcoms that never got a second season?

[ladymuck]

People still use Hangouts?

[CheeseSlice]

Is there still shedloads of dark fibre around the world? Or has Netflix used it all up streaming B movies and sitcoms that never got a second season?

Both Google and Netflix had to drop video bitrates recently.

Interestingly only Google can generate new content today via its users. Soon Netflix will just be an overpriced archive of unfinished TV series in SD quality. Maybe BlueRay and Blockbuster video will rise from the ashes again?

[DoctorStrangelove]

It's that Morgenstern chap all over again again.

[barrydidit]

I knew an old fashioned porn stash would come in handy one day

[DoctorStrangelove]

I knew an old fashioned porn stash would come in handy one day

Might be time to break out the VHS cassettes again.

[barrydidit]

Might be time to break out the VHS cassettes again.

Somehow I think Beetamax would be more appropriate

[CheeseSlice]

People still use Hangouts?

I think thats gone now.

I think most people are watching streaming vids on YouTube..

(Or maybe its Pornhub given some of the responses on here?)

[NickFitz]

Both Google and Netflix had to drop video bitrates recently.

Interestingly only Google can generate new content today via its users. Soon Netflix will just be an overpriced archive of unfinished TV series in SD quality. Maybe BlueRay and Blockbuster video will rise from the ashes again?

I’m not absolutely certain, but I believe they’ve dropped bitrates to avoid saturating the “last mile” (distance may vary) networks out to consumers' homes.

I believe Google, Amazon, and the like’s data centres, CDNs and so on are linked by private high speed networks running over that there dark fibre and emerge onto the public Internet as late in the journey as possible, so any problems they’re having are unlikely to be related to what commoners like us are getting up to.