By resorting to unconventional engineering, Facebook saves users in developing countries precious bandwidth while still offering them a close-to-optimal Facebook experience.
In tackling the problem, the Facebook engineering team didn’t turn to new technology, but rather thought hard about the tools it was already deploying.
“We used existing technology, but in a kind of clever and unique way,” said Brian Cabral, Facebook director of engineering.
The work they did cut the time it takes to download a Facebook page in limited bandwidth conditions by 30 percent. The page could be viewed more quickly, both on the Web and through the company’s mobile app.
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