If they didn't do so, they'd be sure to trumpet it loudly. Nowhere in this smartly worded retort is a denial that they throttle Netflix traffic. If their broadband connection is functioning correctly, the source of their frustration and the content they wish to see may be one in the same." How the Internet works can be complicated, and consumers should be aware of the fact that the integrity of their home Internet connection is only a portion of the streaming video quality equation. In short, our Internet customers often get more than they pay for. This has been repeatedly proven through independent testing by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has conclusively demonstrated that FiOS Internet consistently delivers both download and upload speeds in excess of what we advertise. "We state unequivocally that Verizon’s broadband Internet access services deliver a pristine user experience to our customers at any time of day on every day of the week. TWC shows an interesting trend, having gotten temporarily better before reverting to its usual, lower performance: For example, Time Warner Cable went from 2.07Mbps in November to 2.02Mbps in December and 2.01Mbps in January. Few providers dropped in performance in each of the past two months, and those that did showed smaller drops than Verizon and Comcast. Still, the performance drops shown by Verizon and Comcast stand out among the rest of the crowd. For example, Netflix says its "listed speeds reflect the average performance of all Netflix streams on each ISP's network." Netflix's recommended speeds range from 0.5Mbps for the most basic streams to 3Mbps for DVD quality to 12Mbps for 3D content, but we don't know what percentage of users on each network meets each given threshold. The Netflix data doesn't provide everything we'd want to know about performance. The comparisons to better performing ISPs place Verizon and Comcast in a bad light. Google Fiber, Cox, and Cablevision in particular have been impressive. Yet some ISPs have improved their Netflix speeds even as Verizon and Comcast falter. It is sensitive and we can't really say more than that right now."Ĭarrying Netflix traffic requires a lot of infrastructure, as the service accounts for 31.6 percent of all downstream traffic at peak times in North America, according to SandVine. AdvertisementĬomcast has not responded to our request for comment, but stated last month in a customer support forum that "e are aware of these threads and the concerns expressed here. Verizon also pointed to a blog post it wrote last year in response to previous complaints, and the company noted that the FCC will be publishing broadband performance results as early as this month. If their broadband connection is functioning correctly, the source of their frustration and the content they wish to see may be one in the same. We state unequivocally that Verizon’s broadband Internet access services deliver a pristine user experience to our customers at any time of day on every day of the week. In response to Netflix's rankings, Verizon gave Ars this statement: Degrading performance by failing to upgrade infrastructure is one way Verizon could force Netflix's hand. Verizon has readily acknowledged that it would like to charge companies like Netflix for better access to its customers. While Comcast is still bound to follow the FCC's net neutrality rules due to conditions placed on its merger with NBCUniversal, Verizon is under no such obligation. Things could get worse for Verizon customers. This may have increased the traffic load. Verizon and Comcast also haven't joined Netflix's "Open Connect" content delivery network, which can improve Netflix performance by placing video caches closer to customers.Īfter this story published, one commenter pointed out that the declines in performance came after Netflix started delivering its so-called "Super HD" and 3D video to all customers, even those whose ISPs are not members of Open Connect. Further Reading Why YouTube buffers: The secret deals that make-and break-online videoA likely explanation for recent slowdowns is that Netflix usage went up, but peering and transit bandwidth didn't.
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