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Federal study: Internet connections usually aren’t as fast as advertised

A report from the FCC confirms what many of us already know: Our Internet speed is usually not quite as fast as the brochure promised.

The report also quantified the effects on home broadband connections of peak-time Internet traffic, which happens between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. While fiber-optic connections were barely affected, cable and DSL users saw decreases of about 5.5 percent and 7.3 percent in download speeds, respectively.

(via Is Your Internet Connection as Fast as You Think It Is? – Technology Review)

You can read the full report yourself here.

My favorite quote from the linked Technology Review story: “This study is indicative of the need for some sort of truth in advertising in ISP advertising,” said Sascha Meinrath, director of the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative.

Are your Internet speeds as fast a promised in the Bozeman area? I know I pay for 30 megabits down, and I’m luck to see 20 most nights. What’s your experience?