Online video platforms like YouTube and Netflix suffer the most from the repeal of net neutrality in the United States, a study by two US universities reveals.
Customers from all major carriers have seen their mobile upload speeds drop at sites like Netflix and YouTube, researchers at Massachusetts universities in Amherst and Northeastern say. This means that the videos they watch on these platforms are no longer presented in their maximum resolution.
To reach this conclusion, scientists used the Wehe application, which measures speed reductions and determines their source.
What is net neutrality?
Net neutrality is a principle that all data that travels over a network must be treated equally regardless of source, destination, or nature. In accordance with this principle, which was established under Barack Obama’s administration in 2015, Internet service providers could not slow down a customer’s connection if it consumed large amounts of data, as is the case with online video platforms.
Net neutrality was abolished in 2018 under the administration of Donald Trump.
The researchers found that YouTube is the site most affected by this phenomenon, followed by Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and NBC Sports. Those responsible for these speed reductions are most often AT&T and Verizon, but other Internet service providers are also mentioned in the report .
Verizon and AT & T defend themselves
Rich Young, a spokesman for Verizon, told Bloomberg that transfer speeds are not automatically reduced for specific customers. “We use network management, which is significantly different from the generalized speed reduction,” he said.
Similarly, AT&T has forbidden itself to target specific sites or customers. “We are not reducing speed based on the identity of the signal owner,” said John Donovan, AT & T’s head of satellite, telephone and Internet operations. We do not differentiate between the source of one connection and another. “
The major US Internet Service Providers now all offer unlimited mobile plans, but they reduce video transfer speeds. These are usually presented in 480p resolution, the quality offered by DVD movies.
This allows them to better manage the congestion of their wireless networks and postpone updating their infrastructure for better networks, which reduces operating costs.
Sonia Theo has been writing for more than 15 years, first starting with fantasy stories. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and German, and one in Arts and Design. In the past years, her interests in gaming and tech news grew, so she started writing articles, guides and reviews for players. In her spare time, you’ll see Sonia playing WoW, crafting decorations and jewelry, or walking her dog. For Digital Overload, Sonia Theo will cover all things tech and gaming, delivering fresh updates on your favorite games.
