BT and Meta Deploy Congestion Awareness Tech to Improve EE UK Mobile Streaming

Broadband and telecoms giant BT (EE) have teamed-up with social media giant Meta to develop and deploy a new technology that aims to make watching online videos via Facebook and Instagram more reliable for EE mobile customers, even during periods of high network demand.

Sadly, even modern mobile broadband networks can sometimes come under pressure from wider network congestion during peak times of usage, which can result in periods of buffering or drops in video quality. In response, BT and Meta recently piloted a new technology to improve this for users of Meta’s social media platforms.

The pilot saw the two teams test a smarter approach to video delivery using new congestion awareness technology that adapts automatically during busy periods, easing potential pressure on the network while maintaining a good experience for customers.

The details are limited, but BT states that, rather than the usual approach of delivering video in the same way regardless of conditions, this tech from Meta intelligently responds when parts of the network are under pressure. “By making small, real-time adjustments when detecting high cell load during peak moments, it reduces the amount of data needed without noticeably affecting video quality,” said the announcement.

The result is that more people can keep watching without interruptions, while also saving network capacity. In addition, the tech supports a more consistent experience when using video apps in busy areas like city centres, transport hubs or large events.

BT Statement

The pilot delivered strong results, including a 6–8% bitrate reduction when congestion was identified and around a 4% reduction in traffic to congested cells – all while maintaining a high-quality experience for EE customers using Facebook and Instagram. That means fewer slowdowns and a more reliable video streaming experience on mobile data.

This latest work builds on BT and Meta’s earlier collaboration to improve video performance for EE customers, further demonstrating how closer coordination between networks and platforms can support growing demand. As video continues to play a central role in everyday life, initiatives like this show how incremental innovation behind the scenes can deliver meaningful benefits for customers – while helping networks remain efficient into the future.

The new congestion awareness technology has now been rolled out across the EE network, and Meta will expand the solution to other markets and partners throughout 2026.