Cable companies led the internet service provider industry in delivering on their advertised download speed, according to an annual study of fixed broadband operators in the U.S. conducted by the FCC.
The 2016 “Measuring Broadband America” report found that Altice’s Optimum brand matched its advertised speed for nearly 95% of survey panelists
Comcast, Charter Communications and Time Warner Cable (still evaluated distinctly from Charter) approached or exceeded 90%. Cox Communications had the lowest score among cable operators at around 75%.
Comcast, Charter and Optimum, as well as Verizon FiOS, came within 80% of their advertised download speed for more than 95% of panelists.
Overall, satellite operator ViaSat scored the lowest, unable to deliver its advertised speeds for any panelists. AT&T’s DSL service and Frontier Communications also received low marks.
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Thirteen ISPs and 4,281 panelists participated in the Measuring Broadband America program, which was executed in September 2015.
The FCC found that the median download speed for its latest report was 39 Mbps, up 22% from the previous year’s benchmark of 32 Mbps. Speeds have almost quadrupled from March 2011, when the study had them at around 10 Mbps.
Cable’s median speeds were up 47%, usurping fiber (up 14%) and DSL (flat).
Cable operators continued to grow their share of the U.S. fixed broadband business, adding 774,956 new customers in the third quarter alone, according to Leichtman Research Group.