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2015 Measuring Broadband America Fixed Broadband Report Summary

Core Content

The 2015 Measuring Broadband America Fixed Broadband Report provides a comprehensive analysis of consumer fixed broadband performance in the United States. It is part of an ongoing nationwide study by the FCC to evaluate the performance of broadband services, focusing on actual download and upload speeds, consistency, latency, and packet loss. The report includes data collected from a representative sample of consumers across the country and highlights trends in service tiers, performance metrics, and regional variations.

Main Points

1. Most Popular Advertised Service Tiers

• The report focuses on the most popular service tiers offered by each ISP, which collectively represent the majority of broadband subscriptions.

• DSL:

  • AT&T-DSL: 3 Mbps, 6 Mbps
  • AT&T-Uverse: 6 Mbps, 12 Mbps, 18 Mbps, 24 Mbps
  • CenturyLink: 1.5 Mbps, 3 Mbps, 7 Mbps, 10 Mbps, 12 Mbps, 20 Mbps, 40 Mbps
  • Frontier DSL: 1 Mbps, 3 Mbps, 6 Mbps
  • Verizon: 0.5–1.0 Mbps, 1.1–3.0 Mbps
  • Windstream: 3 Mbps, 6 Mbps, 12 Mbps

• Cable:

  • Cablevision: 15 Mbps, 50 Mbps, 101 Mbps
  • Charter: 15 Mbps, 30 Mbps, 60 Mbps, 100 Mbps
  • Comcast: 3 Mbps, 25 Mbps, 50 Mbps, 105 Mbps
  • Cox: 5 Mbps, 25 Mbps, 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps
  • Mediacom: 15 Mbps, 50 Mbps
  • TWC: 15 Mbps, 20 Mbps, 30 Mbps, 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps

• Fiber:

  • Frontier Fiber: 25 Mbps
  • Verizon Fiber: 15 Mbps, 25 Mbps, 35 Mbps, 50 Mbps, 75 Mbps

• Satellite:

  • Hughes: 5 Mbps, 10 Mbps
  • Viasat/Exede: 12 Mbps

2. Actual Download Speeds

• Actual download speeds generally exceed or match the advertised speeds, especially for cable, fiber, and satellite providers.
• DSL providers have shown less consistent performance, with some continuing to advertise "up-to" speeds that are higher than actual speeds experienced by their subscribers.
• The average actual download speed across all ISPs increased significantly from about 10 Mbps in 2011 to 31 Mbps in 2014.
• The ratio of actual to advertised download speeds improved from 101.6% in 2013 to 105.6% in 2014.
• For upload speeds, the ratio improved from 109.1% in 2013 to 113.2% in 2014.

3. Variations in Speeds

• Speeds can vary based on location and during different times of the day.
• The report introduces the concept of "80/80 consistent speed", defined as the minimum actual speed that was experienced by at least 80% of panelists during at least 80% of the peak usage period.
• Cablevision, Comcast, and Verizon Fiber show the best performance with fewer than 10% of their panelists experiencing actual speeds below 95% of the advertised speeds.
• Hughes shows high variability in download speeds, but still maintains that over 80% of customers experience speeds at or above the advertised rate.
• DSL providers, particularly those with lower-tier services, show greater inconsistency, with some customers experiencing actual speeds significantly below the advertised speeds.

4. Latency

• Latency is the time it takes for data packets to travel from a consumer's home to a measurement server and back.
• Satellite-based services have much higher latency compared to terrestrial technologies (DSL, cable, fiber), ranging from 603 ms to 659 ms.
• Terrestrial ISPs (DSL, cable, fiber) show small variations in average latency, which are unlikely to affect the performance of highly interactive applications like online gaming or video calls.

5. Packet Loss

• Packet loss can affect the quality of applications that do not request retransmission of lost packets, such as voice over IP (VoIP) and video chat.
• Packet loss rates are generally very low (less than 0.1%), with few exceptions where losses approach 1%.
• These low rates are unlikely to significantly impact most applications, including web browsing and email, which typically request retransmission.

6. Regional and Multi-Year Trends

• The report includes regional and multi-year performance analysis, showing how broadband performance varies across the US.
• The FCC's new 25 Mbps broadband definition is used to assess how many consumers meet or exceed this threshold.
• Cable-based ISPs have seen a significant increase in advertised download speeds, driven by the adoption of DOCSIS 3 technology.
• DSL-based ISPs have shown less improvement in advertised speeds, and some continue to overstate their capabilities.

Key Information

• Measurement Methodology:

  • The report is based on a volunteer sample panel of consumers.
  • Data is collected over a 24-month period and analyzed for peak usage times.
  • The study includes complementary cumulative distribution charts to show the percentage of consumers meeting certain speed thresholds.

• Data Availability:

  • The data is weighted by the number of participants using each ISP.
  • Some ISPs, such as Frontier, are excluded from prior years' data due to changes in service territories.

• Performance Trends:

  • Cable and fiber ISPs have shown the most consistent performance.
  • DSL ISPs have shown greater variability, especially in lower-tier services.
  • Satellite ISPs have higher latency but good consistency in speeds.

• Consumer Impact:

  • The report aims to inform consumers about the variability of their broadband service.
  • It highlights the importance of speed consistency for users of high-bandwidth and interactive applications.

Conclusion

The 2015 report shows significant growth in broadband speeds and increased consumer adoption of higher-speed tiers. While cable and fiber providers generally deliver higher and more consistent speeds, DSL providers still face performance gaps. The FCC's new broadband definition of 25 Mbps is being met by a growing number of consumers, and the report continues to emphasize the importance of network performance metrics like latency and packet loss for understanding the full broadband experience.