A method for execution in a storage network, the method begins by determining a user device group content preference, wherein the user group content includes target content for a user device group and the determining includes predicting future target content for the user group. The method continues by selecting a plurality of network edge units for staging encoded data slices, identifying target content for partial download to the plurality of network edge units and dispersed error encoding the target content to generate a set of encoded data slices. The method then continues by identifying encoded data slices from the set of encoded data slices corresponding to the target content for partial download and determining a partial downloading schedule for sending the encoded data slices for partial download to each network edge unit of the plurality of network edge units. The method continues by facilitating partial downloading of the target content by sending the encoded data slices for partial download to each network edge unit of the plurality of network edge units.