This is a non-issue & complete speculation. Netflix already manages stream quality based on network conditions and has likely done so for years. If the government wants to ensure network access they should be talking to the ISPs, IMO.
Lots of comments in here getting it exactly right. Asking Netflix to change will have almost no effect. Netflix already adjusts stream quality based on "internet weather" and already has most of the stream sources really close to the user. And has for years and is pretty good at it now. (Source: I worked there and worked on a lot of this stuff).<p>But it also makes sense for the CEO to make the political gesture and appease the EU commissioner.
Netflix has caches all over the world <a href="https://openconnect.netflix.com/en/peering/#locations" rel="nofollow">https://openconnect.netflix.com/en/peering/#locations</a> - don't see how this would make any significant difference to backbones. I'm in India and my Netflix downloads mostly come from a few neighborhoods away - I seriously doubt Europe has it much worse.
Is this really a problem at all? Doesn't Netflix select a lower quality stream automatically if the player buffer is being read from faster than it's being filled?<p>It's already in their interest to not have users watching their video "Buffering...". I'm sure that makes users disconnect. If users disconnect they won't generate revenue.<p>In other words, in cases of congestion on the Internet, doesn't Netflix and similar services already "slow down streaming"?
IXP traffic only seems to be up by 10% or so. And any direct peering with ISPs should be up to netflix and that ISP to manage.<p><a href="https://www.de-cix.net/en/locations/germany/frankfurt/statistics" rel="nofollow">https://www.de-cix.net/en/locations/germany/frankfurt/statis...</a>
<a href="https://stats.ams-ix.net/index.html" rel="nofollow">https://stats.ams-ix.net/index.html</a>
<a href="https://portal.linx.net/lans_flows" rel="nofollow">https://portal.linx.net/lans_flows</a>
I can’t speak for other EU countries, but Germany has systematically neglected its network infrastructure over the last decade. Even in Berlin fast, reliable Internet is hard to come by. I often find my LTE turn into Edge at the blink of an eye.<p>We should urge leaders (public and private) to do a better job and hold them accountable for bad policy.
Even HD streaming from Netflix requires around 7 megabits of bandwidth. That's not too much. If the internet infrastructure is struggling the handle that much throughput in 2020, it's the fault of ISPs, not Netflix.<p>Streaming video content has been ubiquitous for years now. A lot of households probably have 3-4 devices streaming HD content for hours during "prime-time." So ISPs should have kept up.
Let's not forget how much we've slowed broadband rate of improvement lately. In 2000-2010 speeds were doubling every few years with ADSL generations and fiber was just around the corner. The tech is there but the investment is not, from engineering POV we could easily and cheaply have 10G at home in western cities for everyone.
I'm smelling ISP lobbyists.<p>They want to abuse the situation by inventing a problem and getting support from politicians with no knowledge and plenty to lose during a humanitarian disaster - all of it to be able to introduce "HD packages" and similar later, so you get to pay more while they get to invest less. This is a great first towards selling "services" (by holding them hostage) and not being a "pipe" (which is their job).<p>Think of the children.
Right now would be a fantastic time for these ISPs to start installing Open Connect Appliances. It'll keep most Netflix traffic off of the backbone.<p><a href="https://openconnect.netflix.com/en/appliances/" rel="nofollow">https://openconnect.netflix.com/en/appliances/</a>
This is in direct conflict with what the (UK) broadband providers have said:<p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51870732" rel="nofollow">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51870732</a>
Of note:<p>"Netflix said it already adjusts the quality of streams to available network capacity, and uses a special delivery network that keeps its library closer to users as a way of consuming less bandwidth.<p>"The Commission said that while there has been a sharp increase in internet usage, no outages or adverse affects have so far been reported."<p>So I'm not sure what the problem here is.<p>Meanwhile here in the US, my company has been holding large video conferencing sessions (80+ people) for the first time ever, on Google Hangouts Meet. They've been flawless. Sure, that can change, but I have a hard time believing we aren't already near peak "at home" usage.
My ISP, Sonic, said yesterday their evening peak traffic is up 25% since Bay Area counties ordered people to stay at home.<p><a href="https://twitter.com/dane/status/1240155938193051648/photo/1" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/dane/status/1240155938193051648/photo/1</a>
Here in the UK there is talk of 2020 being the year society gets its act together and starts making significant changes for the better. I’ve heard this praised as an opportunity, or bemoaned as lefty idealists trying to take over.<p>One positive outcome we can all agree on though: the end of BT OpenReach’s passive aggressive “monopoly“ couldn’t come soon enough though. The amount of makework that goes on in UK broadband caused by OpenReach’s emplacement at the heart of it all is ridiculous.<p>Kelly Communications (a major broadband hookup contractor for OpenReach and Virgin): your days are numbered.<p>Any mention of Netflix is a deflection.
Where are the calls for cable companies to downgrade their traditional TV channels (set top box) from HD to SD so that they can re-provision some of the bandwidth toward internet?<p>I don't know enough about the tech to know for sure that this is possible, but it seems likely since it is the same wire and they offer different levels of TV and internet service.<p>If I'm right and it is possible, why is it that only streaming providers are being asked to sacrifice the quality of their service?
How soon until we find out the EU was nudged to do this by ISPs that can't handle the network load and want to push blame? I mean, everyone knows that Netflix already uses available bandwidth measuring to adjust bitrate/quality.
How about instead of urging people to do something they wont, remove content or only make certain content available at certain times for certain people.
Nobody should be surprised by this, I mean if you lock down hundreds of millions in western countries, what will they do in 2020 but online?<p>I am fine with throttling these services, hospitals and research should be given top priority, followed by all remote workers (or general traffic if that's hard to distinguish). These massive leisure services should be at the very bottom of priority.
The problem is in Europe Google/CloudFlare/Akamai/Netflix/Amazon tend to have DCs in Ireland/Netherlands. And there was obviously little investment in backbone fiber connecting across countries. And even worse for services based in USA.<p>Now EU politicians are shift-blaming after they blew their budget and have nothing to show.