We will make superfast broadband redundant – video start-up’s bold claim

System to ‘revolutionise’ the internet can crunch file sizes by more than 80 per cent, say creators Eoovi

Avideo technology start-up claims to have hit upon a way of dramatically reducing file sizes and download times in a move that it said was set to “revolutionise” the internet.

Eoovi, co-founded by Paul Gardiner and Brian Higgins, said its system can deliver a reduction of more than 80 per cent in file sizes, with a corresponding boost to download speeds over standard phone lines, making the nationwide roll-out of superfast fibre-optic broadband infrastructure “potentially redundant”. Gardiner, who is based in Edinburgh, said: “The platform we have built is tested and it works, but we are not at liberty to share how we do it as this area of the market is open to all types of technology espionage from large global brands who potentially, once they fit the pieces together, could beat us to the market.

“But we have been working on this day and night for three years and only focused on one goal. Now, with full testing done, we know without doubt it is set to revolutionise the internet.”

He added: “While developing the platform we have managed to get a compression percentage of around 80 per cent of original file size, and in some circumstances as much as 93 per cent has been reached.” A report by industry regulator Ofcom, published in December, revealed that internet access speeds of 30 megabits per second or higher were now available to 83 per cent of Scottish premises, up from 73 per cent a year earlier.

Many consumers north of the Border remain unable to access broadband with “acceptable speeds”, Ofcom noted. About seven per cent of Scottish properties cannot get a download speed of 10 megabits per second or more. Eoovi said that its system could deliver a “global first” by enabling customers to play an ultra-high definition 4K video over a one megabit per second connection. The start-up plans to launch as a subscription-based video compression service, targeting content creators on platforms such as Youtube, before rolling it out to film and television companies..

Its longer-term goal is to license the software to other industries, for example in the transmission of medical imagery or enabling the defence sector to use smaller antennae in drones, reducing the overall size of the remotely-operated vehicles.

0 Eoovi improves video streaming