• NordVPN has just announced a huge upgrade to its network capacity
• Its global aggregate capacity has now surpassed 100 Tbps
• This should mean more stable performance even during rush hour

NordVPN has just crossed an important milestone, with its global aggregate network capacity now surpassing 100 terabits per second (Tbps).

The idea behind the upgrade is simple: prevent one of the most annoying VPN problems before it starts. NordVPN says the network is engineered with enough spare capacity to keep connections stable even during peak demand.

In our testing, we've already deemed NordVPN to be at the top of our list of the best VPNs. The new update should bring peace of mind to users who tend to connect to the VPN during peak hours. Here's how it works.

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Preventing slowdowns before they happen

NordVPN says its network now exceeds 100 Tbps in aggregate capacity, spread across 211 locations in more than 135 countries. This gives it more room to handle demand before users ever get to feel the strain.

The end goal is for users to never feel that the network is currently busy. Using a virtual server network (VPN) is sometimes associated with buffering, slow load times, or disconnects, but adding more network capacity should prevent that. Bottlenecks may still happen, but they'd often be caused by your local connection rather than the VPN itself.

The new update is all about headroom. You're not going to get higher speeds on an individual connection unless your connection was already being thwarted by VPN network congestion. However, NordVPN already delivers solid speeds, with a record speed of 1249 Mbps in our in-depth testing.

Why it matters

This matters because VPN slowdowns don't just happen out of nowhere. In fact, as NordVPN says, slowdowns are typically caused by insufficient capacity. That's why the latest update is a means to avoid that, adding extra headroom on top of already existing headroom.

NordVPN reveals that its servers run at roughly one-third of their capacity by design, so it sounds like potential slowdowns will be left in the rear-view mirror with this new update.

Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN, said: "Great infrastructure is the kind you never notice. In practice, 100 Tbps means more room to absorb demand surges, which results in fewer bottlenecks when everyone comes online at the same time, and faster, more reliable connections that users can actually feel."

You don't need to do anything to activate the new update, although it doesn't hurt to make sure that your NordVPN app is running the latest version.

NordVPN believes that server quality is more important than quantity, and this update should go a long way toward improving the former. With that said, the VPN provider still has a robust network, and it was recently expanded with the addition of 211 new server locations worldwide.

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Monica is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience. She writes about the latest developments in computing, which means anything from computer chips made out of paper to cutting-edge desktop processors.

GPUs are her main area of interest, and nothing thrills her quite like that time every couple of years when new graphics cards hit the market.

She built her first PC nearly 20 years ago, and dozens of builds later, she’s always planning out her next build (or helping her friends with theirs). During her career, Monica has written for many tech-centric outlets, including Digital Trends, SlashGear, WePC, and Tom’s Hardware.