As the novel coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc on people’s lives, new strict social distancing protocols are being enforced, as over 6,700 cases of the disease have currently been confirmed in the UK, with the death toll at over 300.
As the orders put in place in the UK to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic have placed new pressures on the UK’s mobile and broadband infrastructure, the country’s internet capacity could be “rationed” to prioritize critical apps and websites, experts are cited as saying by The Sun.
Social distancing measures, enforced to deal with the pandemic, mean that many Brits are now working from home in compliance with a UK government request, as all unnecessary travel has been halted and schools, cafes, leisure centres and other social venues also shut.
Amid the lockdown, Vodafone sources are cited by the outlet as confirming a 30 per cent increase in web traffic, with the typical peak “rush hour” registered previously between 6pm and 8pm now rapidly expanding to between noon and 9pm.
Experts warn “internet rationing” could eventually be signed off on, albeit not involving limiting users to specific amount of data.
Concept image showing the Bleen hologram viewer used for gaming
The measures, claim cited sources, would most likely presuppose prioritising critical data over entertainment, like movie-streaming or gaming.
One of the concerns cited by networks is the traffic increasingly moving from cities into suburbs.
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According to sources, a degree of internet rationing is already in progress to reduce network load, as content providers are reducing the bitrate of their videos.
Netflix, Google’s YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Apple TV+ and Disney+ are all cited as having reduced the quality of streams by around 25 per cent across the UK and Europe.
Boosting broadband capacity is a means currently being employed by networks, as a source is cited as revealing that additional hardware is being added across the country, while mobile traffic can also be diverted to avoid areas being overloaded.
Networks can “traffic-manage” their systems, prioritising some traffic over others, claim experts.
Seeking to allay concerns of an overload, a UK network was cited as suggesting it was currently at 20 per cent “utilisation”, with at least 80 per cent remaining to cope with handle any major uptick in usage.
Reducing individual internet connection wouldn’t be necessary, believe experts, claiming that networks are designed to handle huge peaks of traffic.
Experts cited by the publication dismissed concerns the Government might enforce mass-rationing of the internet, claiming it would be “completely bonkers” and potentially “impossible to enforce”.
In this July 17, 2017, file photo the Netflix logo is displayed on an iPhone in Philadelphia.
Sources suggest it will come down to content providers and ISPs, who will ration at their own discretion.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Government’s Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport was quoted as stating:
The developments come as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a televised statement on Monday evening to outline strict new measures to deal with the spread of the coronavirus, including a ban on public gatherings of more than two people.
Johnson also ordered immediate closure of shops selling non-essential goods.
Earlier measures in March included closing schools, urging social distancing protocols, and shutting down non-essential travel, among others.
The novel coronavirus, which causes the respiratory disease Covid-19, was first confirmed in the UK at the end of January, since rising to over 6,700 cases of the disease.
The number of deaths is now 336, according to the Johns Hopkins University in the US. Globally, authorities have confirmed more than 380,000 cases of the coronavirus with more than 16,500 deaths.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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