As demand soars across the continent where millions are confined to their homes over the fear of Coronavirus, Netflix has said it will reduce the quality of its streaming in Europe to ease pressure on the internet.
In a statement by the firm Spokesperson, “Netflix will begin reducing bit rates across all our streams in Europe for 30 days.
“We estimate that this will reduce Netflix traffic on European networks by around 25 percent while also ensuring a good quality service for our members.”
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The streaming giant believes that with wide-ranging lockdowns and quarantines, schools, shops and borders closed and gatherings banned, people across Europe are increasingly turning to the internet to stave off boredom.
However, Thierry Breton, the EU commissioner for the internal market and digital economy in a tweet said, “But the huge file sizes of high definition offerings from web giants like Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO and Amazon are slowing the web.
“Teleworking and streaming help a lot but infrastructures might be in strain.”
He also called for online platforms to switch to streaming in standard definition instead of HD.
Gamers breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday after the end of an hours-long network outage that affected Nintendo’s online games and prompted despair from users.
“Only a few days into the coronavirus self-isolation and Nintendo servers are already down… oh dear God,” tweeted one.
