TRAFFIC JAM

YouTube Reduces Video Quality as Streaming Traffic Surges

YouTube, along with other streaming sites, has experienced a surge in traffic as millions around the globe stay home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

YouTube will lower the quality of its videos around the world for a month starting on Tuesday as hundreds of millions of people flock to the streaming site as they stay home to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus. “We continue to work closely with governments and network operators around the globe to do our part to minimize stress on the system during this unprecedented situation,” said Google, which owns YouTube. Amazon and Netflix have already reduced the quality of their video streams in Europe to ease the impact of intense traffic on networks amid the coronavirus pandemic. YouTube will offer viewers the choice to increase the quality of the videos to high definition, but the baseline quality will be standard definition.