places additional strain on communications networks. In a call placed Wednesday, he urged Netflix CEO Reed Hastings to serve only standard definition content to users in times of peak demand. With vast numbers of people now working from home, and using video chat and digital messages to stay in touch with friends and family, and as users increase their time spent on streaming platforms, Breton said streamers’ had a role to play in ensuring telecom operators weren’t overwhelmed.
The commissioner is a former telecom CEO, heading up France Télécom between 2002 and 2005. The options he discussed with Hastings included a temporary automatic switch to standard definition during peak hours. Netflix already utilizes traffic management systems to limit quality based on available bandwidth. He said he would speak with Hastings again, but in a tweet urged users to proactively make the switch themselves.
The EU, alongside BEREC will set up a reporting mechanism to monitor traffic surges in each EU country. Breton’s statement follows the FCC’s pledge for telecoms operators in the United States to “Keep Americans Connnected” during the Coronavirus crisis. Major operators like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint have signed the pledge.