Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) performance has been finally been upgraded by AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), couple of months after Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) upgraded the speed. On an average, Netflix stream on Verizon FiOS reached 2.41 Mbps in August, an increase from 1.61 Mbps in July, according to monthly speed test update. AT&T’s U-verse offered an average performance of 2.61 Mbps in August, an increase from 1.44 Mbps in July.
More improvement required
Comcast has been trying to improve Netflix network connection for long, but Verizon did not. The online streaming video service suggests 5 Mbps for high-definition. An increase in average indicates that customers are receiving high-quality streams more often.
Connection from AT&T and Verizon has improved, but is still not up to the mark. Content streaming on Verizon DSL streamed at an average of 1.31 Mbps in August compared to 0.97 Mbps in July. AT&T’s DSL average was 1.81 Mbps in August, up from 1.11 Mbps in July. Streaming of Time Warner Cable increased from 2.16 Mbps in July to 2.59 Mbps in August. Comcast streams averaged 2.9 Mbps in August, up from 2.82 Mbps in July. Cablevision was one of the top service providers along with other US ISPs with a Netflix average of 3.11 Mbps, while Google Fiber leads all listed ISPs with a 3.53 Mbps average.
Netflix supporting net neutrality campaign
Netflix voiced streaming issues a number of times over the past few months alleging carriers that they wanted Netflix to pay for direct connections to their network. Eventually, the streaming company did enter paid agreements with the ISPs months ago, but some carriers took more time to set up the required infrastructure.
Netflix recently announced to become a part of the “internet slowdown” campaign to create awareness about net neutrality. Starting on September 10, start-ups such as Kickstarter and Etsy to Reddit and Word Press will add widgets to their sites and when a user clicks on a video to watch he or she will see “loading” wheel over a slow connection.
However, the internet service will not suffer from the actual slowdown like it suffered in 2012 internet blackout day in protest SOPA and PIPA. Instead, it will serve as “a call to action for users to push comments to the FCC, Congress, and the White House.” Netflix has always supported net neutrality and has finally decided to join the consumer group free press, Fight for the Future, Demand Progress, and Engine.
