Broadband services approach advertised speeds

Published Aug 2, 2011 at 6:00 am (Updated Oct 17, 2011)

New government data shows that the nation's major broadband providers deliver Internet connections that are generally 80% to 90% of maximum advertised speeds. The data was released today by the Federal Communications Commission and constitutes evidence that the three most popular wired broadband technologies in the U.S.—DSL, cable modems and fiber-optic connections—all do a good job of delivering speeds promised to consumers, even during peak usage periods. The findings are based on an FCC study of residential Internet service offered by 13 of the largest broadband providers in the U.S., including AT&T, Verizon Communications, Comcast and Time Warner Cable Inc. The study measured Internet speeds delivered to thousands of subscribers in March; it did not look into speeds provided by wireless services.