To alleviate pressures on the network of internet service providers (ISPs) in Europe, US-based video streaming platform Netflix announced that it will be cutting its traffic by 25 percent across the region. The company is imposing the measure to compensate for the surge in internet traffic following the government's stay at home order in response to the continued spread of the novel coronavirus.
The decision to reduce its bandwidth across the entire region also comes right after similar measures were put in place in heavily hit European countries such as Italy and Spain last week. The company announced on Saturday that it will be reducing the high bandwidth streams from its platform for the next 30 days.
The company advised European streamers that they may be seeing a slight decrease in video quality for each of its resolution categories. In a statement released over the weekend, Netflix outlined that its goal is to maintain the quality of its service to all of its members, while at the same time ensuring the continued operations of ISPs across the country as they face heavy strain on their networks.
Netflix disclaimed that resolutions and its services may be adjusted for each network depending on the issues they report over the next few weeks. As governments around Europe impose mandatory lockdowns, curfews, and travel restrictions, millions of people are expected to self-quarantine at home. Apart from video games, video streaming use is expected to significantly spike all over the region.
The increase in data-heavy online activities such as high-definition video streaming is expected to place massive pressure on ISP networks, likely leading to disruptions in service if not immediately addressed. Netflix stated that it is doing its part to ensure the smooth function of the internet as people hunker down in their homes during the crisis.
Netflix currently has more than 42 million subscribers in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. According to its exchange filing, the majority of its overseas subscribers are mainly found in Europe. The majority of the ISPs in heavily hit areas have already reached out to the company, asking it to reduce its bandwidth as soon as possible to avoid overloading their networks.
Netflix, along with its rivals such as Google and Amazon Prime, have so far heeded the call made by European Union industry chief Thierry Breton to reduce their bandwidths by cutting the picture quality of their content for the next few weeks to prevent an overload.
Meanwhile, Walt Disney's new streaming service Disney Plus, which was scheduled to be launched in Europe this month, has been delayed. The French government requested the company to delay its launch by two weeks, with other countries also making similar requests due to the ongoing crisis.
