Netflix and citizens have been urged to stop streaming in HD during the Coronavirus pandemic in an attempt to avoid the internet from breaking due to unprecedented usage.
The plea comes from the European Union after hundreds of millions have self isolated and are working from home. Children are also out of school causing additional strain on internet bandwidth.
Is this a sign of things to come in our neck of the woods? Bell Aliant issued a statement saying, “Bell operates among the best wireless and wireline networks in the world. They feature robust redundancy and are designed to endure anything from extreme weather to surges in demand. This situation is no exception: all our networks and services remain fully operational.”
“We know the services we provide are critical. With many businesses asking employees to work from home and the special requirements of public safety authorities, we are ready to add even more capacity should the need arise,” they concluded.
Eastlink issued the following statement, “During these unsettling times, I want you to know that the team here at Eastlink cares deeply about doing whatever we can to support you and keep you connected to the things and people that matter most to you. As we continue to monitor new developments, you have my personal commitment that we will stay in touch to share what we’re doing to adapt.”
European Commissioner Thierry Breton made the appeal to citizens and Netflix via Twitter asking companies and citizens to switch from HD to standard definition.
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
A statement from Netflix said “Commissioner Breton is right to highlight the importance of ensuring that the internet continues to run smoothly during this critical time,” the Netflix spokesperson said.
Netflix also said it adjusts the quality of streams to available network capacity. They use a special network to keep it’s vast library closer to users, therefore using less bandwidth.
If you would like to do your part in keeping internet operating during these heavy traffic times, you can switch to standard definition on your streaming platforms.