Video streaming major Netflix and social networking giant Facebook are reducing bit rates for videos on their platforms as part of their efforts to help mitigate mobile and broadband network congestion amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Netflix said it will reduce traffic on telecommunication networks by 25 per cent while maintaining the quality of service for users in India, while Facebook said it will temporarily reduce bit rates for videos on Facebook and Instagram in India.
Companies like Amazon Prime Video are also temporarily lowering bit rates — a measure of how much data is being transferred — to ease pressure on telecom network infrastructure.
Consumption of digital content has gone up manifold as people are forced to stay indoors as almost the entire country is under lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly COVID-19.
A Facebook spokesperson said, “To help alleviate any potential network congestion, we will temporarily reduce bit rates for videos on Facebook and Instagram in India”.