Coronavirus: EU Asks Netflix to Throttle Video

In an effort to ease the strain on internet infrastructure, the European Union is asking that Netflix stream video to standard definition when necessary....
Coronavirus: EU Asks Netflix to Throttle Video
Written by Matt Milano
  • In an effort to ease the strain on internet infrastructure, the European Union is asking that Netflix stream video to standard definition when necessary.

    Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for internal market, tweeted that he had talked directly to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings to make his request.

    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) 3/18/20

    Companies are already struggling to keep up with the added strain on networks. Microsoft has recently begun throttling non-essential Office 365 features to ease the strain on Teams. Facebook has similarly been struggling to keep up with the additional WhatsApp usage, as the app is currently being used even more than it does during New Year’s Eve, its normal peak usage period.

    As the pandemic continues to force people to stay home and telecommute, additional companies will likely be called to take the same measures as Netflix.

    Get the WebProNews newsletter delivered to your inbox

    Get the free daily newsletter read by decision makers

    Subscribe
    Advertise with Us

    Ready to get started?

    Get our media kit