Major Internet Providers Slowing Traffic Speeds For Thousands Across US - Guardian/RawStory

[WillyT]

Major Internet providers slowing traffic speeds for thousands across US
The Guardian/RawStory
23 Jun 2015 at 05:34 ET

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Major internet providers, including AT&T, Time Warner and Verizon, are slowing data from popular websites to thousands of US businesses and residential customers in dozens of cities across the country, according to a study released on Monday.

The study, conducted by internet activists BattlefortheNet, looked at the results from 300,000 internet users and found significant degradations on the networks of the five largest internet service providers (ISPs), representing 75% of all wireline households across the US.

The findings come weeks after the Federal Communications Commission introduced new rules meant to protect “net neutrality” – the principle that all data is equal online – and keep ISPs from holding traffic speeds for ransom.

Tim Karr of Free Press, one of the groups that makes up BattlefortheNet, said the finding show ISPs are not providing content to users at the speeds they’re paying for.

“For too long, internet access providers and their lobbyists have characterized net neutrality protections as a solution in search of a problem,” said Karr. “Data compiled using the Internet Health Test show us otherwise – that there is widespread and systemic abuse across the network. The irony is that this trove of evidence is becoming public just as many in Congress are trying to strip away the open internet protections that would prevent such bad behavior.”

The study examines the comparative speeds of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), which shoulder some of the data load for popular websites. Any site that becomes popular enough has to pay a CDN to carry its content on a network of servers around the country (or the world) so that the material is close to the people who want to access it.

In Atlanta, for example...

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More: http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/major-internet-providers-slowing-traffic-speeds-for-thousands-across-us/

[Octafish]

1. Would explain a lot.

Thanks, WillyT! Even if I have to wait for a while, reading your posts is worth it. That's what "They" are afraid of: Truth.

[L0oniX]

2. FB has been almost unusable for 3 days ...and I have a 15mb connection.

https://downdetector.com/status/facebook

[on point]

3. Time to apply anti-trust and separate content providers from ISP's.

Make an ISP a dumb pipe that competes only on quality, speed, and price. Take away ANY incentive to favor a content provider , like themselves.

[Triana]

4. Time WANKER just sent me a sleezy letter informing me that..

...they are raising my rates $10/month for the same crappy level of service they've been providing.

"we are please to offer you..."

BULLSHIT.

Translation: "we are pleased that you are stuck with us as the only ISP available in your area and we are pleased to SCREW you out of more $$ for NOTHING!"

[City Lights]

5. This site has gotten really slow for me.

It's somewhat intermittent, but still bothersome.

Corporations rule the US.

[olddots]

6. internet in Portland Oregon seems twice as fast as L.A.

The never ending "free market " is like a black hole nothing can escape from .