Every year the FCC is mandated by Congress to release a report detailing the status of the U.S. broadband industry. The good news? This year's edition of the creatively-named "Measuring Broadband America Fixed Broadband Report" (pdf) notes that speeds have by and large tripled since 2011. The bad news? That's really only for those who have cable broadband (where DOCSIS upgrades are relatively inexpensive) and the few people living in an area getting wired with fiber to the home. If you're a phone company customer with a DSL connection, unfortunately, many of you are still lucky to get 12 Mbps downstream:
New research by MoneySuperMarket reveals that nearly two-thirds of Brits (64 per cent) would consider switching internet service provider (ISP) if they limited access to websites, with nearly six million trying to access a blocked site in the last week alone.
They're going to need a VPN regardless of which ISP they go with after the EU force Article 13 on us.
Hopefully we will leave with no deal before then.
Crafty ISPs may be getting a larger pound of flesh from tomorrow's larger file sizes...
4K is a monumental waste of resources, and internet usage is no exception. Technology lags behind the 4X jump in resolution, which started out as a way to coax consumers to dump all their TVs and buy new ones. It stresses all the links in the chain. Eventually, we'll be able to deal with it in stride (though by then, I imagine they'll be pushing 8K or ridiculo-similar on us). For now, 1080p does just fine for me. Easier on everything from my gaming hardware to my wait times.
Your ISP may give you an excellent router. The fact remains, however, that you are shelling out money to rent it.
