Forum Discussion
Streaming throttling
Hi, why is there such throttling of streaming from my mobile device? I’m on a 5G+ plan (with a 15 Pro Max phone), but I can barely watch Twitch or YouTube at 720p. Speedtest always shows 200+ Mbps and otherwise the internet is really fast, but what is wrong with streaming? I just can’t stream videos in good quality while on the go. What’s the point of all that talk about infrastructure investment, etc., that justifies Canadian phone plan prices being some of the highest in the world, if I can’t stream 1080p videos, let alone 4K? I would understand if throttling occasionally happened in some locations, but it’s everywhere: Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City. What am I paying for?
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I have the same problem even on our Telus fibre wifi 💀 idk
I’ve been experiencing persistent issues with Telus service since switching over in October 2022, right after getting the iPhone 15 Pro Max. On mobile data, I can’t watch videos on YouTube through the app, and even Instagram reels freeze multiple times during a 30-second clip. Apps that rely on internet access, such as online banking, The Ring app, and my home security camera apps, often fail to load, displaying a “no internet” error. I constantly have to put my phone in airplane mode for 20 seconds just to get them to load, only for the problem to return shortly after.
When these issues started, I took my phone back to Telus, only to be told I had to take it to Apple—even though I’d only had the phone for three days. After Apple ran diagnostics, they confirmed the phone was functioning perfectly. To test further, I inserted my work phone’s Rogers SIM card into my iPhone 15, and everything worked flawlessly—no lag, no buffering.
This is clearly a Telus issue, and they should take responsibility for fixing it, along with compensating customers for such frustratingly poor service.
Unfortunately Telus will not fix it as it’s intentionally throttling for some unknown and illegal reasons.
as you mentioned it has been getting progressively worse, Instagram Reel, Twitter video and TikTok are all buffering every few seconds with 5G+ connection.
Twitch only loads 480p, anything above buffers like crazy can’t watch live stream.
i think it’s time for a class lawsuit
- Nighthawk
Community Power User
Which apps are you having issues with? Most of the streaming apps default to lower resolution and data use for cellular unless you specifically go and change the settings on them.
I have an iPhone 15 and if I set the apps to 4K or best quality, I get 4K / best quality. I usually don't leave them set to that while on cellular because it can use a lot of data. Amazon Prime Video for example estimates Best quality at 5.8GB per hour and Better quality at 1.3GB per hour. It defaults to 600MB per hour.
- For example, Twitch or YouTube. To clarify, I am not saying I am not getting the best quality. What I’m saying is, when I set a YouTube video to 4K or a Twitch stream to 1080p (which is the max resolution on Twitch), it just becomes impossible to watch due to constant buffering. Have you tried to watch YouTube in 4K? Does it work for you? There shouldn’t be any issues with that; it doesn’t even require that much bandwidth. But for some reason, it’s just not working for me. It’s only watchable in 720p.
- FuzzyLogic
Are you viewing the video in the YouTube app or through a web browser? I don't use the app but haven't had any issues when viewing the videos in a browser on my iPhone at 1080p.
