‘Squid Game’ is getting Netflix sued over high-bandwidth usage

Squid Game is everywhere, from RapidKL recreating a scene from the show for promo, to fans making playable ‘experiences’ in Roblox. If you’re not aware, Squid Game is a wildly popular South Korean Netflix television series in the survival drama genre. Unfortunately for Netflix, the show’s popularity has gotten them in court for causing a traffic surge for Internet service provider (ISP) SK Broadband.

The ISP sued Netflix because many people used the service which resulted in increased network traffic and maintenance costs. SK is now processing 2400% more traffic from Netflix compared to May 2018, currently at a rate of 1.2 trillion bits per second. This is partly due to the success of Korean Netflix productions such as ‘Squid Game’ and ‘D.P.’.

A still from the show ‘Squid Game’. Source: Netflix

Currently, Netflix is Korea’s second-largest data traffic generator, surpassed only by YouTube. SK reports that these two companies are not paying network usage fees, but others like Amazon, Apple, and Facebook are paying. According to lawmaker Kim Sang-hee, foreign content providers like YouTube and Netflix account for 78.5% of Korea’s data traffic.

Netflix actually began using SK’s dedicated line to deliver more data to their viewers by using servers from Japan and Hong Kong. SK issued a lawsuit against Netflix to pay for this service, but last year Netflix lodged their own lawsuit arguing against the need to pay for it. However, the Seoul Central District Court ruled against Netflix in June, saying that they are “obligated to provide something in return for the service”.

In 2020 alone, SK estimated Netflix’s network usage fee to be 27.2 billion won (RM96 million). Netflix appealed the ruling, stating that they created thousands of jobs and caused an economic effect of about 5.6 trillion won (RM19.7 billion). As a result, both parties will be getting back to court in late December.

If only ‘Squid Game’ was real, then maybe Netflix could win the game and pay SK Broadband with the prize money.

[ SOURCE, IMAGE SOURCE ]

Recent Posts

Zeekr Malaysia delivers 2,000 EVs within a year since launch

Zeekr Malaysia has achieved a new milestone with the delivery of 2,000 EVs since its…

2 hours ago

Gentari x SEB turns on 120kW DC Charger in Sibu Town Square Phase 2

Gentari x SEB have successfully deployed its fifth EV charging station in Sarawak which enhances…

9 hours ago

Solar ATAP will only offset Energy Charge for domestic customers?

The new Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme (ATAP) is on track for launch on 1…

20 hours ago

JomCharge x DBKL turns on third EV charging location at Sri Hartamas

JomCharge x DBKL continue to turn on more street level EV chargers and the latest…

23 hours ago

Perodua QV-E now available in more locations: Battery fee is RM275/month ALL-IN

Perodua QV-E can now be obtained in more Perodua showrooms throughout Peninsular Malaysia. When the…

23 hours ago

Gentari deploys 200kW DC charger at Petronas Seremban 2

Gentari continues to expand its EV charging network in Seremban, following the deployment of two…

1 day ago

This website uses cookies.