In a bid to manage the unprecedented load on Internet infrastructure as more people stay home during the lockdown, Facebook and Instagram on Tuesday announced to lower video quality in India as well as Latin America.
"To help alleviate any potential network congestion, we will temporarily reduce bit rates for videos on Facebook and Instagram in India. We are committed to working with our partners to manage any bandwidth constraints during this period of heavy demand, while also ensuring people are able to remain connected using Facebook apps and services during the COVID-19 pandemic," a Facebook company spokesperson told IANS.
The step is being taken to help our users and community handle bandwidth constraints and keep people in touch. Earlier, Facebook and Instagram lowered their video quality in Europe. Additionally, Amazon, as well as Apple, also reduced their streaming quality in Europe in order to lessen the load on the broadband network.
In India, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has written to over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms to ensure smooth video streaming across the country as people are staying indoors and taking to work-from-home amid the coronavirus crisis.
The industry body has also written a letter to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) urging the government to issue advisories to the players concerned on this issue.
