Your Internet will never exceed the speed limit.
Two years ago, we signed up for the highest speed Internet we could get with our local cable provider. It was the only high-speed option available where we live, the Gigabit Extra deal at 1200 mbps with lightning-fast download speeds.
When it was installed, the speed must have been acceptable because we were desperate for connectivity as our wireless phone coverage was spotty at best. For the first year when we were locked into the contracted low price, we didn’t have issues.
It wasn’t until our driveway was dug up and replaced that we returned from a vacation with no Internet connectivity at all. Since the cable line is buried, I couldn’t directly blame it on squirrels, although they do dig up the yard, but it was more likely the pavers laid at the end of our driveway that damaged the line.
We had two weeks of extremely slow, intermittent connectivity before the line was replaced. The new cable line did resolve the intermittent connectivity issue but only marginally increased the speed. I used the app Speedtest to document the speeds at all times of the day and it was nowhere near the 1200 mbps we were paying for. The rate for this speed would increase when our contract ended in Feb 2024.
The only way to contact our cable provider was through a bot, a really annoying one. I could eventually get a live person to call me, but I had to lie to the bot that we had no Internet connectivity whatsoever. Each time I answered “Yes” that we had connectivity, the bot disconnected or sent me into some alternate loop giving me no opportunity to explain what was truly happening.
I ended up setting up an appointment at our local cable provider store where I was able to get them to set up a technician appointment. The store attendant who had technical experience also did admit that they were having issues with their infrastructure keeping up with the demand and were reconfiguring their network.
The day before the appointment instead of receiving a reminder, I got a text they were cancelling the appointment. My husband and I both logged into our account to see which one of us could get a live person to call us. I told him he had to lie to the bot. I finally got through because I was now an expert at beating the bot. They promised someone would actually come out to our house.
A technician did show up and replaced the modem. We tested the speed and my husband’s new iPhone was the only device that could get speeds just under 1200 mbps. My phone and the older tablets and laptops couldn’t get even near that. Apparently, older devices with slower processors can slow your WiFi network. But who has all the latest and greatest devices? No one.
As the weeks passed, I would repeatedly check the speed on my husband’s iPhone and it almost never reached the download connectivity speed of 1200 mbps even if I stood directly in front of the modem. I did notice many times that our cable provider was using other, smaller companies I had never heard of that provisioned the service to our location. They weren’t even using their own circuits.
I’ve done research and don’t have concrete proof but a number of people including some with technical expertise are convinced that these providers are throttling speeds significantly (intentionally slowing down your Internet connection speed,) especially at congested times. One was on their 6th modem in 2 years and others advised to continue logging an issue with your provider once you noticed your speed degrading.
ISP Throttling: How Do You Know If You’re Being Throttled? | Security.org
Occasionally, I would get over 700 mbps. We could reduce our service plan to the 800 mbps with no impact at $100 less per month once the rate increase went into effect. I also cancelled the cable streaming service which was the worst and upgraded our Hulu subscription to include Live TV. When I went to the cable store to make these changes, I received no pushback. They knew.
This was still significantly less than the almost $300 / month we were paying in CA where a technician tipped me off that we should ditch the cable box and get Roku(s) to stream their new app and to call customer service to cancel our entire service so that they would then offer me a deal. We had been loyal customers for years oblivious of how you had to negotiate a new, lower priced deal with the latest technology.
These providers get away with this because in the areas we have lived, they are the only high-speed provider. It doesn’t matter what speed level you choose, at some point, it will be throttled back whether you notice it or not. Even those with 300 mbps plan were getting speeds below 100 mbps.
The following link explains the different types of Internet in terms of speed along with the providers who provision each type of service. It also breaks down how much speed you need considering the different tasks your household does and how many users simultaneously access the Internet. Internet Speed Comparison Chart | What’s a Good Internet Speed? (electronicshub.org)
DSL Internet service is provisioned via telephone line which is dying infrastructure and is being phased out. AT&T and other DSL providers are transitioning their customers to Fixed wireless or 4G LTE / 5G wireless and to fiber where it is available. I have us on a list for AT&T fiber build which is close but not yet in our neighborhood as well as Verizon 5G that isn’t available either. You can either call or chat with the service provider to determine what is available in your area that is address driven and if you wish, be placed on the list for future builds.
The best app for capturing your Internet speed is Speedtest by Ookla from my own experience and what is used in the Security.org article above that gives step-by-step instructions.
I recently noticed our Internet speeds were degrading again and had done a few speed tests before I left. My husband worked from home a day last week using VPN and also noticed the slow speeds and I wasn’t even home. The Security.org article lists several ways to remedy a throttled Internet connection. Other solutions include buying your own modem or implementing a mesh network which I will be looking into this week.
If you have one of the “Gigabit Deals” with the supposed lightning-fast speeds, you should be auditing your actual speeds and determine if the deal is worth it especially once the initial price expires.