Should cable intenet companies be required to disclose the actual speeds they are delivering?

[techs]

Let's end the nonsense of of the most ridiculous advertising scam in America. Cable companies advertising "up to xx Mb. speed"

How about a truth in advertising law? Just like the one that straightened out the "watts of power" claims that stereo receivers used to make 35 years or so ago.

FYI back in my youth stereo receivers used to make outrageous claims of power because there was no truth in advertising law. Finally the FCC (or some such agency) made them specify their wattage into a specified load for a specified time. This law was one of the best ones ever passed. If you are my age you remember how great it was.

So, why not make it a law that the cable companies must meet some standard to claim a certain speed.
For instance, if you advertise "up to 10 Mb" you must supply 10 Mb to 90 percent of your customers 90 percent of the time.
Simple.

EDIT: With 63 votes the results are in.
ATOT'er voted 84 percent that cable internet service providers should be required to disclose the actual speeds they are delivering?

 

[amdhunter]

Having trouble with your internets?

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: amdhunter
Having trouble with your internets?

Nah, just thought this might put an end to the big "up to" scam and might actually help improve performance. BTW I added a poll since you posted.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Too many uncontrollable variables that can affect the rate/speed.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Too many uncontrollable variables that can affect the rate/speed.

Hence the phrase "10 Mb to 90 percent of your customers 90 percent of the time"

 

[misle]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Too many uncontrollable variables that can affect the rate/speed.

+1

 

[adairusmc]

They only guarantee the maximum speed, not the minimum or the average.

/thread

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Too many uncontrollable variables that can affect the rate/speed.

Hence the phrase "10 Mb to 90 percent of your customers 90 percent of the time"

/facepalm

 

[rudeguy]

yeah! YEAH! Then after that we can go after Fritos for selling bags of chips that are half air!


PS, its not going to happen.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: NSFW
yeah! YEAH! Then after that we can go after Fritos for selling bags of chips that are half air!


PS, its not going to happen.

Lays doesn't advertise their products as containing up to xx ounces of chips.

 

[spidey07]

Not going to happen, it can't happen at the prices of consumer broadband.

What speed are you talking about? On network or off? From CPE to CMTS? What are you talking about? Once you go offnet nothing is guaranteed, but good design can mean an ISP will and can provide service level agreements based on latency, jitter and packet loss and throughput.

What you're talking about is called a burstable service and you are free to puchase it, but not for 50 bucks a month. Any real internet service has service level agreements and is full of all the internet has to offer, but consumers don't want to pay for that.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Too many uncontrollable variables that can affect the rate/speed.

Hence the phrase "10 Mb to 90 percent of your customers 90 percent of the time"

You're talking statmuxing and rsvp. If you want that then be prepared to pay for it. Basically you're getting into my world of traffic engineering and what you ask is very possible but not at the consumer level because the consumer can't afford it.

 

[drinkmorejava]

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Too many uncontrollable variables that can affect the rate/speed.

Hence the phrase "10 Mb to 90 percent of your customers 90 percent of the time"

They do that, except apparently it's 70% says another thread from today.

 

[dman]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Too many uncontrollable variables that can affect the rate/speed.

Telco's seem to do OK w/ their 'sustained' service offerings.

Anyway, it won't change until the average consumers get smart or start to care.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: dman

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Too many uncontrollable variables that can affect the rate/speed.

Telco's seem to do OK w/ their 'sustained' service offerings.

Anyway, it won't change until the average consumers get smart or start to care.

Or they start to pay.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Too many uncontrollable variables that can affect the rate/speed.

Hence the phrase "10 Mb to 90 percent of your customers 90 percent of the time"

You're talking statmuxing and rsvp. If you want that then be prepared to pay for it. Basically you're getting into my world of traffic engineering and what you ask is very possible but not at the consumer level because the consumer can't afford it.

Then the telcos shouldn't advertise it.

 

[MoPHo]

No. Having to lower that amount in advertising due to current infrastructure hold backs would only make people think that the economy is now affecting their d/l speeds. All those working parents that need pr0n to help them through their days have already lost their 401(k)s. Don't damage their beliefs that pr0n is now coming slower.

 

[Jeff7]

Accurate advertising from cable companies.
I definitely see this happening in the very near future.

*thump*
*thud*
*splat*


What the-? Ugh, dammit, it's another flock of flying pigs. My car's going to be a goddamn mess.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
Accurate advertising from cable companies.
I definitely see this happening in the very near future.

*thump*
*thud*
*splat*


What the-? Ugh, dammit, it's another flock of flying pigs. My car's going to be a goddamn mess.

I thought we lived in a democracy. All "we the people" have to do is elect representitives who pass a law demanding it.
Then cable internet companies can either not advertise speeds or advertise honest speeds.
And as for there being "too many variables" than they shouldn't be advertising speeds to begin with.
If a cable company has 10 Mb available on a node and 1000 subscribers under the current lack of standards they can say "up to 10 mb" since if only one person is on they would get the 10 Mb.
If we can specify how much butter fat in 2 percent milk, or give you x number of minutes on a cell phone, the cable companies can tell if if they have a certain speed available 90 percent of the time.

Let's call it "90 for 90" law.

 

[Newbian]

You can't blame then when it slows down when everyone else starts using the same connection.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: daniel1113

You're talking statmuxing and rsvp. If you want that then be prepared to pay for it. Basically you're getting into my world of traffic engineering and what you ask is very possible but not at the consumer level because the consumer can't afford it.

Then the telcos shouldn't advertise it.[/quote]

UP TO!

Read the fine print. Why people complain about what they signed into contract is beyond me. If you read or sign other "real" internet service order agreements they are about 6-7 pages long (I write them, I sign them, I negotiate them).

Read the fine print and own up to what you signed for.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: daniel1113

You're talking statmuxing and rsvp. If you want that then be prepared to pay for it. Basically you're getting into my world of traffic engineering and what you ask is very possible but not at the consumer level because the consumer can't afford it.

Then the telcos shouldn't advertise it.

UP TO!

Read the fine print. Why people complain about what they signed into contract is beyond me. If you read or sign other "real" internet service order agreements they are about 6-7 pages long (I write them, I sign them, I negotiate them).

Read the fine print and own up to what you signed for.

You can't bury everything in the fine print and say it's okay. I bet a lot of what you might agree to in an EULA would not hold up in court if it was challenged.

If it is "up to", they could advertise it as 100mbps and could bury in that fine print - "only at 4am, no other users on the network, and a camel is on your roof." (and thus never actually provide the maximum speed.

 

[KLin]

ISP's aren't the only ones to use the up to clause. Just look at B&M's doing sales. "SAVE UP TO 50% ALL WEEKEND LONG!". But that's only for a fraction of their products they're selling. It's no different with ISPs and they're not committing fraud.

 

[ScottMac]

Originally posted by: daniel1113

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Too many uncontrollable variables that can affect the rate/speed.

Hence the phrase "10 Mb to 90 percent of your customers 90 percent of the time"

You're talking statmuxing and rsvp. If you want that then be prepared to pay for it. Basically you're getting into my world of traffic engineering and what you ask is very possible but not at the consumer level because the consumer can't afford it.

Then the telcos shouldn't advertise it.

They do ... "Up to xxx" (not "at least xxx" or "over xxx")

Don't blame the providers because consumers want to be optimistic. This is just plain ol' marketing, made for fleecing the consumer flocks and their need for bragging rights.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: KLin
ISP's aren't the only ones to use the up to clause. Just look at B&M's doing sales. "SAVE UP TO 50% ALL WEEKEND LONG!". But that's only for a fraction of their products they're selling. It's no different with ISPs and they're not committing fraud.

With that reasoning I could by a Hyundai that advertises "up to 100 miles per gallon" since it does get a hundred miles per gallon if it's going all down hill.
Wait, there's a law that specifies how mpg is rated and advertised.