eric rochow : social media handyman

Everyone seems to have a story about how slow their high speed connection is. Recently installing Verizon business DSL in our new office, I tested the line with the test page at DSL Reports to find the speed nowhere near what we were paying for.

A call to Verizon with this question was answered by, “Well, don’t pay attention to those speed tests.” Verizon claimed that their in-house speed test showed the line working near the advertised speed.

An article in Saturday’s NY Times, Not Always Full Speed Ahead, shows I’m not the only one having the same disagreement.

In many cases, consumer advocates and industry analysts said, customers do not get the maximum promised speed, or anywhere near it, from their cable and digital subscriber line connections. Instead, the phrase “up to” refers to speeds attainable under ideal conditions, like when a D.S.L. user is near the phone company’s central switching office.

“They don’t deliver what’s advertised, and it’s inherently deceptive,” said Dave Burstein, editor of DSL Prime, a newsletter that tracks the broadband industry. “ ‘Up to’ is a weasel term that should be taken out of the companies’ vocabulary.”

Eric Rabe, a spokesman for Verizon, acknowledged that the maximum speed promised was what was available “under optimal conditions.” He argued that advertising those numbers was not disingenuous because the optimal speed at least provided a benchmark for comparison. Verizon cannot control, among other things, how quickly Web sites can deliver information that is requested by users.

“Once you get on the public Internet, all bets are off,” he said.

Much of this chatter may become moot in the near future as Verizon completes is FiOS fiber optic network, running fiber down streets right to its customer’s houses. Verizon says this network is “Future-proof”.