DOCSIS 3.1 and higher services are driving significant across-the-board increases in speed and consumption, most notably a 3X rise in median usage, according to a study in the Q3 2025 edition of the OpenVault Broadband Insights (OVBI) report.

Median monthly usage for DOCSIS 3.1 subscribers in the third quarter of 2025 was 530.54 GB, 207.7 per cent higher than the median monthly usage of 172.43 GB for subscribers on legacy DOCSIS 3.0 plant. In addition average monthly total, downstream and upstream usage all were 80 per cent higher or more for DOCSIS 3.1 subscribers than for DOCSIS 3.0 households, specifically:

• Average total usage was 719.36 GB per month for DOCSIS 3.1 subscribers, an 85.1 per cent increase over the 388.73 GB of DOCSIS 3.0 users.
• Average downstream usage was 660.97 GB for DOCSIS 3.1, vs 358.85 GB of DOCSIS 3.0 users for an increase of 84.2 per cent.
• Average upstream usage was 58.4 GB for DOCSIS 3.1 subscribers, 95.4 per cent more than the 29.88 GB of DOCSIS 3.0 users.

For this edition of the OVBI, OpenVault utilised data collected by its SaaS suite of broadband management solutions across contiguous DOCSIS 3.1 and DOCSIS 3.0 networks servicing more than 100,000 homes. Data sources included the Vantage PNM proactive network maintenance and Vantage PMA profile management application products that are helping operators provide the pristine environment required to optimize DOCSIS 3.1 performance.

The networks studied exhibited increases of more than 53 per cent in downstream (624 Mbps vs. 407 Mbps) and upstream (66.4 Mbps vs. 43.37 Mbps) speeds. Further, consumers on DOCSIS 3.1 networks are more than twice as likely to be Power Users of 1 TB or more per month, and more than three times as likely to be in the emerging category of Extreme Power Users of 5 TB or more.

Almost one-fourth – 23.57 per cent – of DOCSIS 3.1 subscribers used 1 TB or more during 3Q25, 118.2 per cent more than the 10.8 per cent on DOCSIS 3.0 plant, while the 0.19 per cent of subscribers consuming 5 TB or more was 221.7 per cent more than the 0.06 per cent on DOCSIS 3.0. Data also showed that 5.01 per cent of DOCSIS 3.1 subscribers were Super Power Users of 2 TB or more, vs. 1.87 per cent of DOCSIS 3.0 households, an increase of 167.9 per cent.

As always, the latest edition of the OVBI analyses data from millions of broadband subscribers to uncover patterns that impact network performance, operator revenue, and customer satisfaction. The 3Q25 edition also includes an update of the network health metrics that quantify how Proactive Network Management (PNM) and Profile Management Application (PMA) technologies can support broadband providers’ technology and business objectives.

Key findings in the Q3 2025 report include:

• Average Usage – Monthly average consumption in Q3 2025 was 640.8 GB, an 8.6 per cent increase over the 590.1 GB recorded in Q3 2024.
• Median Usage – While average usage fell from Q2 to Q3, median usage rose from 431.4 GB in Q2 to 438.87 in Q3.
• Upstream – Upstream usage increased 17.4 per cent in 3Q25, outpacing the 13-14 per cent year-over-year growth rates that have marked Q3 since 2021.
• Power Users – The pace of year-over-year Q3 growth of super power users of 2 TB or more per month on average has slowed, from 35.1 per cent in Q3 2023 to 24.6 per cent last year to 22.5 per cent in 2025.

“While network pressure is stabilising, absolute levels remain elevated, reinforcing the continued need for proactive capacity planning, upstream optimisation, and intelligence-driven demand modeling going into 2026,” the report concludes. “DOCSIS 3.1 clearly has emerged as a driver of increased consumption; to maximize the DOCSIS 3.1 experience, broadband providers should invest in Profile Management Application and Proactive Network Maintenance solutions that can optimise network performance.”

The entire report is available at https://openvault.com/resources/ovbi/.

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, Research

Tags: docsis, openvault