How OTTs can meet the bandwidth demands of video today and XR tomorrowHow OTTs can meet the bandwidth demands of video today and XR tomorrow

The highly anticipated Tyson-Paul fight was not only a spectacle for audiences worldwide but also a timely reminder of the challenges that accompany live-streamed events at scale. Viewers tuned in to see the action, but many were met with buffering, glitches, and access issues widely circulated on social media and reported by news outlets. Netflix later described the event as an "unprecedented scale of broadcasting," touting 60 million households tuning in live and highlighting the immense pressure on streaming platforms to meet ever-growing demands.

However, the occasional buffering or pixelation we experience during live streams today is a minor inconvenience compared to the network demands that lie ahead. The rise of XR (extended reality), with its promise of immersive augmented and virtual reality experiences, will place unparalleled strain on existing infrastructure. If delivering smooth HD video is a challenge today, how will networks handle the data-intensive nature of interactive, three-dimensional XR environments? The answer lies in a new generation of networking technologies designed for scalability, resilience, and dynamic resource allocation.

Addressing latency: context matters

While "ultra-low latency" is often touted as a solution for live streaming, it’s important to clarify when latency is truly critical. For most streaming scenarios, jitter and packet loss have a far greater impact on the user experience. Latency only becomes a significant factor in specific interactive or synchronised use cases:

For on-demand content or linear streaming, latency is far less critical. The emphasis on ultra-low latency often stems from marketing hype or the technical challenges of achieving it, rather than its necessity for every streaming use case.

The evolving needs of OTT platforms

The shift from broadcast TV to live streaming fundamentally changes infrastructure requirements. Content delivery networks (CDNs), which have long been the backbone of OTT streaming, excel at efficiently distributing pre-recorded content. However, live events introduce unpredictable traffic spikes and latency challenges that traditional CDNs alone cannot resolve.

OTT platforms must ensure real-time, uninterrupted content delivery to meet user expectations. This requires:

Key innovations to future-proof live streaming infrastructure

To tackle these challenges and prepare for the future demands of immersive experiences like XR, OTT platforms need to adopt advanced network technologies. This includes:

Capacity planning

Real-time monitoring

Hybrid cloud and edge strategies

Delivering the live experiences viewers expect

The massive bandwidth requirements of live streaming, particularly during events that draw millions of concurrent viewers, demand cutting-edge infrastructure. Coherent optical technology, such as 800G optics, boosts capacity without requiring new fibre installations, offering a cost-effective and scalable solution. Software-defined networking (SDN) adds flexibility by dynamically reallocating resources to prioritize live streams, mitigating disruptions in real time.

Events like the Tyson-Paul fight underscore the importance of these innovations. While millions tuned in, technical difficulties marred the experience for many, highlighting the fragility of current infrastructure. To ensure seamless, high-quality streaming experiences, OTT platforms must invest in scalable, agile networks capable of meeting today’s demands while preparing for tomorrow’s immersive, interactive content.

By addressing packet loss, jitter, and scalability alongside capacity planning, real-time monitoring, and hybrid cloud strategies, OTT providers can deliver the reliable experiences viewers expect — and lay the groundwork for a future where XR, VR, and AR redefine live entertainment.

Jürgen Hatheier is Ciena’s International Chief Technology Officer. In this role, Jürgen is responsible for aligning Ciena’s product portfolio to the business challenges and opportunities of customers across the EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. With a wide range of international experience spanning North America, Europe, and Asia, Jürgen brings more than 20 years of telecommunications experience in software, hardware, and network operations to Ciena. Prior to joining Ciena, Jürgen held leadership positions in product management and R&D for ARRIS and Technetix where he served tier-1 network operators across the globe.