Given the outbreak of the coronavirus, people are now online more than ever—especially on video and streaming sites, like YouTube and Netflix. Abroad, CNet reports that peak internet usage is now the new normal, which raíses the question of whether the ISPs can handle it.
While these are concerns from the Western part of the world, policies implemented by these video companies abroad could very well apply across all their servers internationally. Case in point: YouTube.
In response to the increase in web traffic, YouTube has begun reducing video quality globally. This means shifting the default setting from high definition to standard quality. While it is still possible to choose high definition, users will have to manually adjust the settings.
In Europe, other streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have also been taking steps in order to regulate their bandwidth usage. Whether their new policies will be applied globally like YouTube, we’ll have to see in the coming days.
For now, let’s pray 2020 doesn’t one us up again by breaking the internet.