Empty Offices, Full Homes: Covid-19 Might Strain the Internet

With more people working from home to avoid coronavirus, will the internet break? The short answer is probably not. The longer answer is that there will be disruptions.

To protect workers and help stem the spread of Covid-19, companies like Twitter Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are telling employees who can work from home to stay home. In all, 42 million Americans, about 29% of the U.S. workforce, are able to work from home. And as schools close to keep kids out of harm’s way, the pressure on home networks will grow.

“The weak link in the chain, where ...