Stable Internet Connection is Critical to Live Broadcast Journalism
Live broadcast journalism reaches viewers only while the upload from the field stays steady. Speedify is an app that combines Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular, Ethernet, Starlink and satellite internet connections into one faster, more reliable connection, and it keeps the broadcast running if one connection drops, as long as you carry two or more connections, such as Wi-Fi and a phone’s 4G/5G cellular. On a single connection, Speedify works as an encrypted VPN and cannot stop that connection from dropping.
If your live shots freeze or drop in the field, you are not the only one. Here is why it happens and how reporters can get reliable internet to broadcast live from anywhere.
Speedify combines your connections into enough upload to go live
How do I use WiFi and 4G/5G cellular at the same time with Speedify?
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Why Reporters Lose Connection During Live Broadcasts in the Field
Most people run into slow Internet and disconnects at some point, but it hurts most in the middle of a live broadcast, for you and for your viewers.
Connection problems during live broadcasts usually happen in these situations:
- Reporting on the move: on the street, bus or train, where you may be connected to a bad or spotty Wi-Fi hotspot that breaks the live broadcast.
- In crowded areas such as an event, a stadium or a concert, the available bandwidth may not be enough for everyone, which is most frustrating when you are covering the event.
- At home or work: your internet provider may be doing maintenance right when you go live, or you may not be getting the download and upload speed you pay for.
Here’s what happens: on a slow connection, the stream cannot hold a high resolution, so your video looks jittery / choppy. If the connection drops altogether, your viewers are left watching a loading or error screen.
How Speedify Improves Live Broadcast Journalism by Combining Multiple Internet Connections
If a slow or unsteady connection breaks up your live video in the field, you need more upload bandwidth, preferably from more than one internet connection. For more on field setups, read how journalists get fast, encrypted internet in the field.
Speedify is a software app that gets you faster, more reliable and secure Internet by allowing you to use multiple Internet connections at the same time. That gives a live broadcast from the field more upload bandwidth, plus an automatic failover mechanism that keeps the stream going if one of your connections drops.
To combine 2 or more Internet connections at the same time, Speedify uses its own technology for combining internet connections, which splits your traffic per packet across all of them. Speedify runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Linux, so it works on a desktop or laptop computer, a smartphone or a tablet.
If one of your connections fails, Speedify automatically reroutes all the traffic through your other available connection(s). This happens in the background without you having to do anything. When the dropped connection is back online, Speedify will pick it up and start using it again.
Speedify Also Encrypts Reporters’ Live Broadcasts Like a VPN
Speedify doesn’t just get reporters and journalists a faster, more reliable Internet connection when live broadcasting online: Speedify also encrypts your traffic like a VPN. Built as a true mobile VPN, Speedify keeps the connection protected as you move between networks, and strong encryption shields what you stream and send to colleagues back at the studio from compromised Wi-Fi networks and snooping hackers.
Before Speedify, users often had to choose between security and speed. Because Speedify was designed with speed as one of its primary goals, you no longer have to sacrifice speed for security. You can have both.
Protecting a Reporter’s Identity When Broadcasting Live
Streaming a theater performance is one thing. Reporting on a crime or a protest that could put you at risk is another. On Facebook Live, viewers see the name on your account, and Facebook requires the name you use in everyday life, so for sensitive reporting consider streaming from your news outlet’s page or another account that is not tied to your personal profile.
Whatever account you stream from, your IP address can still point back to you. Speedify sends your traffic through a Speedify server, so the streaming platform sees the server’s IP address instead of yours. Paid plans include servers in more than 50 locations, and you can pick the server country in the app.
Speedify keeps no record of the sites you visit and does not sell personal data. Speedify does record connection metadata (your IP address, device ID, connection times and data used), so treat it as protection from the platform and the local network, not as full anonymity.
Whether you have internet problems when broadcasting live to Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter) or your own platform, or want better video quality, run Speedify on the device you broadcast from. Get started with Speedify today: the free tier includes 5 GB per month with a free account.
Speedify
Get started with Speedify today.
Speedify combines Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular, Ethernet, Starlink and satellite into one faster, more reliable internet connection. Free to try: 5 GB a month with a free account. No credit card required.
🚀 Speed
Faster uploads and downloads, because Speedify uses all your internet connections at once.
📶 Stability
If one internet connection drops, Speedify moves your traffic to the others in milliseconds.
🔒 Security
AES-256 encryption on every internet connection, on any network you join.
15M+ downloads worldwide. 75K+ five-star reviews on iOS and Android.