Fun

The Internet May Be Next Victim of Coronavirus Pandemic – Netflix, Google, Apple and Amazon React

News Feed - 2020-03-23 10:03:41

The Internet May Be Next Victim of Coronavirus Pandemic – Netflix, Google, Apple and Amazon React


With an estimated billion people staying home, remote working or just watching shows online all day, telecom infrastructure is coming under great strain. Experts and companies are mostly saying that the risk is far from critical yet, but the EU has taken the possibility of the internet crashing very seriously. Netflix, Google, Apple, and Amazon have begun to restrict HD video streaming to reduce data usage in Europe.


Also Read:Encryption Standards Threatened Under Pretext of Battling Coronavirus Coronavirus Crisis Hurts European Internet Infrastructure


The epicenter of the coronavirus crisis has squarely migrated from China to Europe these days. Italy bore most of the brunt, with the highest number of casualties so far, but Spain, France and other countries are also suffering the strong effects of the pandemic growing quickly. Governments have reacted by imposing curfews on citizens, closing borders, shutting down businesses and generally putting in place various restrictions on normal life in order to slow the spread of the virus and “flatten the curve”.


The main measure that everyday people were asked to take in response is to stay home and avoid any unnecessary trips outside the house. As such, it is no surprise that internet usage in Europe has spiked, with employees working remotely, students learning online and everybody streaming videos. This caused European telecommunication companies, such as Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom, to raise the alarm and the European Union soon reacted. Important phone conversation with @ReedHastings, CEO of @Netflix


To beat #COVID19, we #StayAtHome


Teleworking & streaming help a lot but infrastructures might be in strain.


To secure Internet access for all, let’s #SwitchToStandard definition when HD is not necessary.


— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) March 18, 2020



The EU Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, revealed on Twitter that he has had discussions with Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and asked that the streaming service downgrades its broadcasts in Europe from high definition video quality to lower resolution. An hour of HD video from Netflix takes about 3GB of data and an hour of standard definition (SD) video takes about 1GB of data so the move could cut a significant amount of used bandwidth. Video Streaming Giants React


According to recent estimates, video streaming services can account for more than 60% of global internet traffic, with Netflix alone responsible for 12% of online bandwidth around the world. The company was the first of the operators in the market to announce it will take measures to help with the situation in Europe.


“Given the extraordinary challenges raised by the coronavirus — Netflix has decided to begin reducing bit rates across all our streams in Europe for 30 days,” a Netflix spokesperson said. “We estimate that this will reduce Netflix traffic on European networks by around 25% while also ensuring a good quality service for our members.”


Google has also reduced bitrates on its subsidiary Youtube, where an estimated one billion hours of content is being watched every day. This reportedly happened after EU Commissioner Breton talked with Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and Youtube CEO Susan Wojcicki. “We are making a commitment to temporarily switch all traffic in the EU to standard definition by default,” the company said.



Amazon has also taken similar measures on its Prime Video service. “We support the need for careful management of telecom services to ensure they can handle the increased internet demand with so many people now at home full-time due to Covid-19,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “Prime Video is working with local authorities and internet service providers where needed to help mitigate any network congestion.”


Disney has postponed the planned launch of its Disney Plus streaming service in France at the request of the local government while going forward with the plan in other European markets. It also said it will lower its overall bandwidth utilization by at least 25% in all of the markets launching Disney Plus on March 24, 2020. This will reportedly be done in response to an EU request to “ensure the smooth functioning of the broadband infrastructure.”


According to reports from European subscribers, Apple has reacted to the situation by downgrading the streaming quality of Apple TV Plus in Europe.


What do you think about the possibility that the internet will crash due to the global coronavirus crisis? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.


Images courtesy of Shutterstock.


Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH and other coins, on our market charts at Bitcoin.com Markets, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com. Related Coronavirus Bailouts: US Banking Watchdogs Waive Hundreds of Regulations, Red Tape, Financial Oversight NEWS | Jamie Redman


In 2019, cryptocurrency and blockchain businesses saw more regulation than any year prior. G20 finance ministers, central bank governors, and… read more. "Buy Bitcoin" Searches Skyrocket, Volumes Spike, Account Signups Swell As Coronavirus Fears Heighten NEWS | Jamie Redman


Exchange data and statistics from Google Trends, Twitter, and Baidu show that despite the recent price drop people are looking… read more. Tags in this story Amazon, Apple, Coronavirus, Coronavirus Fears, Coronavirus Outbreak, coronavirus pandemic, Disney, Google, Internet, Internet Access, Netflix, Video Streaming, YouTube


Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons With an estimated billion people staying home, remote working or just watching shows online all day, internet infrastructure is coming under great strain all around the world. Experts and companies are mostly saying that the risk is far from critical yet but the EU takes the possibility very seriously. Netflix, Youtube, Apple and Amazon Prime have begun to restrict HD video streaming to reduce data usage in Europe. Show comments Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

News Feed

Felix Ng8 hours agoAustralian stock exchange may consider listing tokenized real-world assetsThe tokenized asset would need to be “appropriately backed” but could “absolutely” be listed in the future, said ASX ch
Dogecoin Trades Within Multi-Year Ascending Channel – Expert Sets $15 Price Target
Este artículo también está disponible en español. Dogecoin (DOGE) has experienced significant volatility over the weekend, capturing the spotlight as investors gear up fo
Every Large Bank Will Actively Consider Crypto in 1-3 Years, Says Former Citi CEO
Every Large Bank Will Actively Consider Crypto in 1-3 Years, Says Former Citi CEO A former CEO of Citigroup said that every major bank and securities firm will consider crypto trad
Terra’s Founder Do Kwon ‘Looks Forward to Building With Bitcoin’ — Project Reportedly Acquires $125M in BTC
Terra’s Founder Do Kwon "Looks Forward to Building With Bitcoin" — Project Reportedly Acquires $125M in BTC Just recently, Terra founder Do Kwon hinted at purchasing $3 billion
Sports Illustrated moves NFT ticketing platform to Avalanche
Ezra Reguerra14 hours agoSports Illustrated moves NFT ticketing platform to AvalancheSI Tickets CEO David Lane explained that while normal tickets end up in the trash, NFT tickets could bring more experiences to holders
Fractional NFT Markets Slide 76% in Value in 7 Months, Diced-up Doge NFT Still Leads the Pack
Fractional NFT Markets Slide 76% in Value in 7 Months, Diced-up Doge NFT Still Leads the Pack When non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles became popular, the fractionalized NFT mark
Mango Markets DAO mulls offering settlement with SEC
Martin Young2 hours agoMango Markets DAO mulls offering settlement with SECThe proposed settlement involves Mango DAO neither admitting nor denying wrongdoing and paying a $223,228 fine. 936 Total viewsListen to article
Helen Partz10 hours agoBinance CEO warns of phishing scams as Uniswap founder gets hackedThe number of social engineering attacks in the cryptocurrency industry has been rising, with major execs getting hacked recently.1
Crypto stocks surge alongside Bitcoin price rally
Vince Quill3 hours agoCrypto stocks surge alongside Bitcoin price rallyCrypto stocks’ strong performance was largely attributed to growing bets that Donald Trump will win the presidential election.1575 Total views10 To
Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Parameter Set to Increase for the First Time in 8 Weeks
Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Parameter Set to Increase for the First Time in 8 Weeks Bitcoin’s hashrate has slowly crept back up between 85 exahash per second
Ezra Reguerra11 hours agoJapanese exchange plans to start digital securities trading on Dec. 25Ichigo, based in Tokyo, plans to offer over $20 million worth of digital securities backed by real estate on the Osaka Digita
Report: Over 30,000 Nigerians to Learn About Blockchain From Government Agency
Report: Over 30,000 Nigerians to Learn About Blockchain From Government Agency Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency recently said it has launched a b