Self-isolation and lockdowns imposed across European countries due to the coronavirus have led to a spike in users streaming online content, which is causing network congestion. To avoid that, Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video have lowered the streaming quality to ensure a smoother service.

Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime have lowered the bitrate of their respective platforms across Europe for a span of approximately 30 days. The reason behind the move is that the huge file size of high definition content from these platforms was slowing down the Web.

“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,” Netflix said in a statement. Thierry Breton, the EU commissioner for the internal market also called on streaming services to temporarily switch from HD to SD quality content.

Source: Reuters

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