Facebook, Amazon Prime, Netflix & other OTT platforms decide to stop HD & UHD videos during lockdown

In this age of technology, almost everybody owns and uses a smartphone and use multiple online & OTT (Over The Top) platforms or apps like Facebook, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar and other such! With almost entire India going into lockdown mode for 21 days, as ordered by the Central Government, people do not have much to keep them occupied. Most people are turning to online platforms for their source of entertainment. Keeping this in mind, almost all the leading platforms like Facebook, Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Sony, Zee, Google, Viacom18, TikTok, MX Player and other such apps have unified to come to a decision.

All these apps have decided to stop streaming High Definition (HD) & Ultra High Definition (UHD) videos on their platforms, over cellular networks. This decision has been taken with the view of ensuring that there is no unnecessary usage of the internet during a time of crisis like this and to ensure that other necessary services are not disrupted with respect to the communications. There are reports that a joint statement issued by these digital companies states that the digital industry has decided to act immediately in the larger consumer & national interest to ensure the robustness of mobile networks!

It has been unanimously agreed by all relevant companies to treat this as an exceptional situation and bring into place temporary measures to throttle the HD & UHD content to SD quality at bit-rates not higher than 480p, on mobile networks. This decision is sure to reduce congestion on mobile networks and lower the internet traffic by about 25%! This will also ensure those working from home would have better bandwidth. Reports state that this decision was taken upon the request of the Cellular Operators Authority of India (COAI).

Check out this tweet from Amazon Prime, in this regard:

An update. pic.twitter.com/PRej4diLcn

— amazon prime video IN (@PrimeVideoIN) March 25, 2020