Content delivery network Akamai has announced plans to throttle game downloads in order to reduce internet congestion.
As many people stay at home to help “flatten the curve” of the coronavirus pandemic, online games have become an important way to socialize and maintain a sense of normalcy. But with millions globally downloading games and playing together, bandwidth demand has surged.
In a blog post outlining its response to rising traffic, Akamai explains the measures it is taking to limit pressure on global networks. The company says it is working with major software distributors—particularly in the gaming sector, including Microsoft and Sony—to manage congestion during peak usage. Gaming downloads and updates can consume substantial amounts of bandwidth when new titles or patches are released, the company notes.
To prevent bottlenecks, Akamai will slow game downloads during peak hours in regions where demand is overwhelming local infrastructure, and will restore higher speeds during late-night, lower-usage periods. These temporary adjustments aim to prioritize overall network stability and ensure essential services remain available.
Microsoft and Sony are also taking steps to manage traffic on their platforms. Dave McCarthy, Corporate Vice President of Xbox Product Services, said: “As people look to gaming for play and social connection, we’re seeing record engagement across Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Live, and Mixer. We’re actively monitoring usage and making temporary adjustments as needed to ensure the smoothest possible experience for our gamers. We appreciate the collaboration with partners like Akamai to deliver the joy of games in these unprecedented times.”
Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, added: “Playing video games enables people all over the world to connect with friends and family and enjoy much-needed entertainment during these uncertain times. Our goal is to partner with other leaders in the industry to help ensure gamers are able to enjoy engaging experiences.”
While gaming downloads contribute to the load, video streaming remains the largest consumer of bandwidth. Streaming services are responding with measures to reduce their impact: regulators in the EU recently requested that Netflix lower streaming quality across Europe to ease strain on networks, and YouTube has begun defaulting streams to standard definition globally to conserve capacity.
Impact on broadband and mobile performance
Reports from speed-testing services have shown slight reductions in average broadband and mobile performance across parts of the US and Europe. Despite these dips, many industry experts and operators say existing infrastructure can handle the increased traffic. Ookla’s Speedtest observed modest slowdowns, but not catastrophic failures.
UK provider Virgin Media reassured customers that its network is designed to cope with higher home usage. The company said: “As more people may be working from home at the moment, it’s important to know our network can withstand any increased usage, including peaks throughout the day, in the evenings, and at weekends. As usage rises, our existing capacity will be able to take it – but we’ll have a close eye on things and make changes if we need to.”
From a mobile operator perspective, Orange CEO Stéphane Richard told France’s RTL radio that the company’s network is built to absorb significant traffic flows and expressed confidence in the network’s ability to withstand surges related to isolation measures.
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