Tech Giants Agree to Ease Network Crowding

Some of the world’s largest technology companies have responded to calls to ease network congestion as part of an effort to manage bandwidth constraints caused by increased demand.

Social networking giant, Facebook joined Netflix, Alphabet, YouTube, Amazon and Walt Disney in reducing the streaming quality of its video content in an effort to avoid internet gridlock.

Millions of workers all across the world have been forced to work remotely amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

However, in Europe, described by WHO as the epicentre of the crisis, many countries have been put into lockdown in a desperate effort to curtail the spread of the deadly virus that has thus far claimed the lives of more than 15,000 people.

The demand now being placed on network operators has skyrocketed and that is rather inevitably impacting internet connections for millions across Europe.

Facebook replicated the measures taken by Netflix, Alphabet, YouTube, Amazon and Walt Disney in Europe, by lowering the quality on both its platform and Instagram in Latin America.

“To help alleviate any potential network congestion, we will temporarily reduce bit rates for videos on Facebook and Instagram in Latin America,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement, adding the company is working very closely with all its partners in a bid to manage bandwidth concerns amid heavier demand.

Asked about future plans to lower streaming quality in Brazil, like it did in Europe, Netflix said it “will continue to work with internet service providers and governments all over the world and will apply these changes in other places if necessary.”

In the UAE, e-learning was introduced as part of precautionary measures to tackle Coronavirus, and thus far there have been very few incidents over connection issues regarding bandwidth.

However, following the government’s appeal for people to stay at home unless it is ‘absolutely necessary’ many businesses have now instructed their employees to work from home for the next two weeks, so the demand being placed on networks is going to increase ten-fold in the coming days and weeks ahead.