Statistics: New FCC Report Provides a Look at Performance of Internet Broadband Speed the U.S.

From the FCC

Measuring Broadband America presents the results of the first nationwide performance study of residential wireline broadband service in the United States.  The study examined service offerings from 13 of the largest wireline broadband providers using automated, direct measurements of broadband performance delivered to the homes of thousands of volunteers during March 2011.

This report highlights the major findings of the study, while the separate Technical Appendix provides a detailed description of the methodology and describes the specific tests that were performed.

• Read the Report
• Download the Report
• Download the Technical Appendix
• Report Data
• Related Material

Coverage: “Is Your Internet Connection as Fast as You Think It Is?” (via Technology Review)

The report, “Measuring Broadband America,” was commissioned as part of the FCC’s efforts to promote improved broadband services across the United States. According to the Internet networking company Akamai, the U.S. ranks 14th in the world in terms of average Internet speeds, behind the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Belgium. Some U.S. ISPs have also been criticized for delivering Internet speeds that are lower than those advertised to users. The new report suggests that most providers now operate within 20 percent of their advertised speeds, even during peak hours; that’s an improvement over the figures recorded in a 2009 report from the FCC.

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