Netflix report suggests Comcast and Verizon FiOS speeds are slipping
Netflix's latest ISP speed report is out and compared to what we've seen before, there are a few surprises. Comcast and Verizon FiOS have dropped quite a bit in the last four months, while Google Fiber is once again at the top of the heap. Neither Comcast nor Verizon have slumped to DSL speeds, but given Comcast's history with net neutrality and Big Red's stake in Redbox, some might call their decreased data rates into question. A J.P. Morgan analyst tells Recode that Netflix's top executives don't think that the telcos are throttling their users -- reinforcing the fine print at the bottom of the report. As The Consumerist points out, last October the streaming juggernaut altered how it measures downloads, which could explain why all of the measured speeds started shifting around then.
If those speeds don't match your in-home measurements, Netflix explains that the averages are well below peak speeds due to the different encodes used to pump movies and shows to your display, and can vary based on the networking gear in your house. So while the numbers may look discouraging, House of Cards will likely still look fine right where you are.
