Traffic Surge Due to COVID-19 Spread... Netflix to Reduce Streaming Speed in Europe

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Cho] Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the world's largest streaming company Netflix has decided to reduce its bit rate in the European region. This comes after data traffic congestion occurred in some areas, prompting the European Union (EU) Commission to request preventive measures from streaming platform companies.

On the 19th (local time), according to IT media The Verge and others, a Netflix spokesperson stated, "We plan to reduce the bit rate across all bandwidths in Europe for 30 days." In this case, Netflix's traffic on European networks is expected to decrease by about 25% compared to before, ensuring uninterrupted, high-quality, and stable streaming services for members. However, The Verge added that with reduced bandwidth, video resolution will decrease, so viewers should not expect HD or 4K streaming.

This measure came immediately after Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for Internal Market, pointed out to Netflix and other video streaming platform companies and mobile carriers that internet infrastructure congestion must be prevented as more people stay at home due to the spread of COVID-19.

In fact, as more people stay at home due to the impact of COVID-19, content viewing on platforms like Netflix and Disney Plus is expected to increase by more than 60%. According to Nielsen, in regions such as Korea and Italy, TV viewing increased by 17% in mid-February, right after the rapid surge in confirmed cases.

In response, Commissioner Breton proposed to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings that during the COVID-19 crisis, the platform operate by downgrading to standard definition instead of HD during peak times, among other measures, and Netflix accepted this. The EU Commission is concerned that internet traffic surges during times when medical and health services, online education, and other essential uses are needed could put pressure on the entire online infrastructure. However, Netflix has not disclosed whether it will implement similar measures in the United States and Asia.

Recently, with telecommuting and online classes, more and more people are relying on the internet for activities that were previously offline. The Verge noted, "As more people worldwide work from home in self-quarantine, streaming service usage will continue to increase," adding, "This will inevitably continue to put pressure on networks."

On the same day, Microsoft (MS) announced that due to the increase in telecommuters amid the COVID-19 impact, the daily users of its messenger-based collaboration tool Teams surpassed 44 million, a rapid increase of 12 million in just one week. Earlier, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also revealed that the number of users of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger surged recently due to the spread of COVID-19. This highlights the growing role of companies providing related services to prevent connection failures in the future.

Commissioner Breton emphasized, "Streaming platform companies, mobile carriers, and users all share a joint responsibility to ensure the smooth functioning of the internet in the fight against the virus spread." He also urged users to utilize Wi-Fi services and others.