Masayoshi Son says America doesn't know how bad its internet speed is.

[MrZorbatron]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101711520

 

 

Check this out.

 

Very interesting.  Perhaps he plans some improvements here too?

[joshnys8913]

I do agree with Son, I think SOME Americans are full of themselves(as in major companies), too busy about making money and charging people way too much for crap speeds.  I am NOT pointing this at anyone here, I am just saying in GENERAL.  (I am playing it safe not to get anyone mad at me for my opinion on here)    I do not judge anyone, or any particular company but things here in America could be better!

[davidtm]

I've seen a number of articles online (so they MUST be true, right?) that document our internet speeds generally lagging behind numerous other countries in the world.

[floorguy]

I do agree with Son, I think SOME Americans are full of themselves(as in major companies), too busy about making money and charging people way too much for crap speeds.  I am NOT pointing this at anyone here, I am just saying in GENERAL.  (I am playing it safe not to get anyone mad at me for my opinion on here)    I do not judge anyone, or any particular company but things here in America could be better!

 

 

yup.....and i think you mean comcast....while their speeds are better then pretty much anyone else around utah...( a few fiber providers here and there...see google fiber in Provo)

 

but the 1 major fiber push here, has had issues...though a major investor may change this......here's hoping

 

But yea, spotty FAST speeds around the country is nothing new....

 

I mean when my parents in an "older" neighborhood, can still only get 512 speeds through dsl......thats pretty bad and lazy upgrades...

[floorguy]

speaking of which....just now my speeds and connection is in the toilet.....

 

granted i saw a tech out yesterday that says there is an issue somewhere in the line....but no timetable as to when to fix it...

 

suppose to be 50-70......uhhh tests at maybe 7....yea there is a problem....

 

and i just had a huge lag spike

[Deval]

Honestly, like the cost of cell phone plans, the price of home internet has gone up, and there has been no real challenge in many markets.

 

Take New York City as an example. Depending on which borough you live in, the only choice for home internet is Time Warner Cable, or DSL through Verizon. Some areas have RCN as an option, and very few areas have access to Verizon FiOS.

 

Because of that, TWC has locked down the majority share of the market, raised the prices, and continued to offer subpar service. I personally am moving into a new apartment in Queens, where Verizon is available directly across the street, but, they have not signed a contract with my particular 9 floor apartment building, so I'm stuck with TWC.

 

Time Warner wants $55 for up to 30dl/5ul, and $65 for 100dl/5ul. It's crazy that Verizon can offer much faster speeds, more consistent connections, for a cheaper price. 

[WillM]

Honestly, like the cost of cell phone plans, the price of home internet has gone up, and there has been no real challenge in many markets.

I've had Comcast internet for the past ten years and my price hasn't changed when adjusted for inflation and my speeds have easily quintupled. I could probably dig up some bills from my first cell phone that would shock you too. I don't even think I had any included minutes.

[Fraydog]

Deval, that's cheaper than the 30/3 I buy in a rural market, but it's still too expensive in both places.

[Deval]

I've had Comcast internet for the past ten years and my price hasn't changed when adjusted for inflation and my speeds have easily quintupled. I could probably dig up some bills from my first cell phone that would shock you too. I don't even think I had any included minutes.

 

I've been a Sprint customer since 1999, and still have some of the original plan brochures from when they first rolled out PCS. The TCO has gone up significantly, coupled with a high profit margin.

[Deval]

Deval, that's cheaper than the 30/3 I buy in a rural market, but it's still too expensive in both places.

 

Very true, but I'm about the farthest from rural as can be. That's what makes me mad. Hell, I can look out my balcony window and see the Verizon fiber on the pole.

[lynyrd65]

Honestly, after Cox announced their network wide upgrade to gigabit fiber with double speed tiers in the interim (50mbps for me). I'm pretty satisfied with them as a customer.

 

Maybe if the other cable companies do the same we won't have such slow internet as a nation.

[Rawvega]

Honestly, after Cox announced their network wide upgrade to gigabit fiber with double speed tiers in the interim (50mbps for me). I'm pretty satisfied with them as a customer.

 

 

Not at all mad at Cox here either. My 50 Mbps connection being bumped to 100 Mbps for no additional charge. Yeah I'm pretty stoked about that myself. Hopefully it'll come by July. 

[sbolen]

Google has a Video Quality Report that you can view how well your broadband/provider stacks up.

 

I'm with Charter Communications in St. Louis, and we're the only HD Verified entity in town: http://www.google.com/get/videoqualityreport/

 

Word on the street is that by the end of June, all 30/6 users will get upgraded for free to 100/10 because they've gone full fiber.

[jamisonshaw125]

Not at all mad at Cox here either. My 50 Mbps connection being bumped to 100 Mbps for no additional charge. Yeah I'm pretty stoked about that myself. Hopefully it'll come by July. 

I liked when comcast bumped ours up from 30 to like 50+. It was awesome. Too bad brighthouse hasn't done anything like that yet.

[Deval]

That's why I'm hoping TWC can improve, or Verizon can get access into my building.

[Paynefanbro]

Honestly, like the cost of cell phone plans, the price of home internet has gone up, and there has been no real challenge in many markets.

 

Take New York City as an example. Depending on which borough you live in, the only choice for home internet is Time Warner Cable, or DSL through Verizon. Some areas have RCN as an option, and very few areas have access to Verizon FiOS.

 

Because of that, TWC has locked down the majority share of the market, raised the prices, and continued to offer subpar service. I personally am moving into a new apartment in Queens, where Verizon is available directly across the street, but, they have not signed a contract with my particular 9 floor apartment building, so I'm stuck with TWC.

 

Time Warner wants $55 for up to 30dl/5ul, and $65 for 100dl/5ul. It's crazy that Verizon can offer much faster speeds, more consistent connections, for a cheaper price.

 

Optimum offers 101/35 for $55. And speeds are always greater than advertised for me. That's a great deal from a cable provider of you ask me.

[WillM]

Optimum offers 101/35 for $55. And speeds are always greater than advertised for me. That's a great deal from a cable provider of you ask me.

 

 

Comcast offers internet and basic cable plus HBO for $50 which is a really good deal too. Not sure how widespread it is though. 

[Destroyallcubes]

Wow y'all get decent prices Compared to mine $60 for 12/1. Not including modem rental, and taxes. TV would cost another $60. Thankfully Suddenlink just bought northland which was my ISP, and should upgraded everything by July 10th from what I heard. Then I'll get 15/1 for $35 , 30/2 for $45, or 50/3 for $55

[xdfgf]

$90 for 30/2 

 

[TheForce627]

Those upload speeds should be illegal smh. Why are they throttled so low?

[jonathanm1978]

Wow @ all these low priced ISPs. What do I pay....?

 

For bare (naked) DSL on line 1: $65.95 out the door. Speed? 6mbp/s /// .5mbps (1/2 a meg)

 

On line 2: $51.00 naked DSL, speed 6mbps down, 1/2 a meg up. Difference is only having the static on line 1.

Used to, with AT&T, if you had the "highest" tier DSL -- the 6meg service -- you got static IP for free. I was converted over to paying $14.95/mo for the static IP when they changed their rules all of a sudden...

Just never have called to have it cancelled -- since they don't allow it to be done online. It says you can remove it, but I get an error EVERY single time I try..

 

The above is what my bill is SUPPOSED to be..the past two months, AT&T says I've gone over 150gigs of use, then gone over 50 extra gigs and into another 50gig data pack. Each 50 gig data pack past the initial 150gb costs $10.

 

For now, I have the phone number of someone in presidential escalations out in Dallas, TX to call each month and have the extra charges removed  from my bill...until they get tired of that and finally decide to FIX their data calculation method used on my line.

I can't even see usage on line 2. Both lines have been active for quite a while...line 1 since 2008, and line 2 since 2012/May.

[jonathanm1978]

I should also note...I called them in the "Business office" about converting my first line to a business line of DSL -- which is offered here (we might be rural, but we have two gas stations and a Dollar General, plus the golf course that will be in RTJ tour in the next couple of years)...

AT&T made me laugh when they told me for business they could offer me 768kbps down, and 400-something upload. The reason for that is on business, they HAVE to guarantee a certain speed, and it can't drop below that. I told the rep that those speeds were a joke, and that if they couldn't guarantee over 768k in this area, then they should get someone to fix their equipment, and get rid of the stupid ATM DSLAM and spend the money for an IP DSLAM..

 

A lookup of my IP shows me bouncing from Birmingham...which means this DSLAM next to my house -- close enough for me to hit with a rock -- is el-cheapo equipment. I know for a fact this equipment was pulled from a working hut in Atlanta and brought to our area back in 2008. It was told to me that this is what Atlanta had from 2001-2005, then it was removed (because Atlanta has IP Dslams now). We got the leftovers when they had made their profit margins on the initial install...they bring it here to really cash in...

[dmchssc]

I'm in Boston, and thankfully I'm able to choose between RCN and Comcast in my neighborhood. RCN has much better prices, so I went with them. 50 mbps down and 10 mbps up for $40 a month, modem rental included. I feel I'm rather lucky, for an American.

 

I went to France for a couple months last summer, and one of the things I remember was how cheap their "triple-play" services were. I just checked SFR (one of their "big 3" telecoms), and they're offering 1 gbps down 200 mbps up internet, unlimited calls to France, the EU, and North America, and 170+ HD channels for 41€ (promotion-free, tax-inclusive). They currently have a 12 month promotion where you save 13€ per month, and a permanent discount of an additive 10€ if you have SFR wireless service.

 

By contrast, the most comparable Comcast plan costs $140 with promotion and has an 85% lower download speed.

 

Let's see... We pay $140 for what we realistically could be getting for $38 (28€).

Edited May 31, 2014 by dmchssc

[NYC126]

Twc cable is upgrading their service here in New York city to something called maxx.I live in Manhattan uptown and my service has been upgraded from the mediocre standard internet 15/1 to 100/10 $57.They are upgrading all the Hubs one at the time. Some of my friends in Astoria

 

Old plans new plans

Low tier 2/1 3/1

Basic 3/1 10/1

Standard 10/1 50/5

Turbo 20/2 100/10

Extreme 30/5 200/20

Ultimate 50/5 300/20

 

Anyone that wants the ultimate 200/20 or ultimate 300/20 needs a 16 channels bonded modem.

The prices will stay the same but you will be upgraded automatically to the new speeds.

Edited May 31, 2014 by SprintNYC

[Paynefanbro]

Twc cable is upgrading their service here in New York city to something called maxx.I live in Manhattan uptown and my service has been upgraded from the mediocre standard internet 15/1 to 100/10 $57.They are upgrading all the Hubs one at the time. Some of my friends in Astoria

Old plans new plans

Low tier 2/1 3/1

Basic 3/1 10/1

Standard 10/1 50/5

Turbo 20/2 100/10

Extreme 30/5 200/20

Ultimate 50/5 300/20

Anyone that wants the ultimate 200/20 or ultimate 300/20 needs a 16 channels bonded modem.

The prices will stay the same but you will be upgraded automatically to the new speeds.

Reminds me of what Optimum did last summer. Everyone's internet got upgraded. Mine went from 50/8 to 101/35. People that had 30/5 got upgraded to 50/25 and people that had 15/2 went up to 15/5. The basic tier (15/2) always gave me speeds of 20/2 when I had it. I can say that my experience with Optimum has been above par.