Coronavirus Crisis – Internet Resources Are Not Unlimited
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Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, more people are at home during the day than ever before, video calling for work and school, or streaming content to pass the time — and that all requires bandwidth. Google is temporarily reducing the video quality of its Nest smart security cameras in an attempt to preserve bandwidth. Nest cameras’ quality and bandwidth setting will be set to the default setting.
Multiple Nest camera users shared an email from Google, which states that the change is “temporary” and that users will be able to change their video quality to a higher setting “if needs require.”
“With so many people working and attending school from home, we’re stretching our resources in ways we haven’t before – including the internet” the email reads.
“As local internet resources are stretched past their limits, you and many others may have noticed interruptions like dropped video calls or frozen screens. During this time, it’s critical for us to work together to ensure we find ways to help the community at large.”
The tech giant added it will inform users when it has changed the cameras’ quality and bandwidth setting to the default setting, and will also inform them when it has restored these settings to their original states. It’s not clear exactly how long Google intends to keep the measure in place, according to businessinsider.com.
It’s the latest in a series of moves made by tech companies in an effort to keep the internet stable through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube have each taken steps to limit the strain they might be adding to the network, while Sony has been capping PlayStation game download speeds.
According to abcnews.com, AT&T reported that on the March 23 Monday, “wireless voice minutes of use was up 39% compared to an average Monday. Wi-Fi Calling minutes of use was 78% higher than an average Monday. ” The company said its core network traffic, including “business, home broadband and wireless usage,” was up 27% on Monday compared with the same day last month.
