The telcom companies of today are known for their questionable practices in billing and acquiring and retaining customers, and for years there have been those questioning the tactics used to deliver and shape speed of broadband to customers. In particular seeing as companies run speed tests on their own speed test sites, and use that to tout their speeds. Not disclosing that those controlled tests are far from the reality of what customers experience. On top of all this the FCC yearly review and release of scores on providers, comes under scrutiny as well as those results are again influenced as the companies know who and where the locations of where the tests are performed. How is that a “real” test? That then the telcom companies use to tout the speed of their service.

Spectrum and AT&T are notorious for questionable practices as per an article in the Wall Street Journal just published.

To top this the proof that many providers limit speeds to Netflix, and perhaps other services is controversial. What is the level of guaranteed service these companies must offer. Is this why the entry of SpaceX and others into the broadband market will increase competition and improve performance for customers? We hope so. Run your speed tests and call your carrier and make sure you are getting the speeds you are paying for. I know I had Spectrum supposedly upgrade my service and charge me only to find out my service was never upgraded and the rep actually admitted to be this. Which I think asked what my recourse was. Basically there was no recourse. Billing dept was closed. And nobody can help. This is the environment that Spectrum, AT&T and others want to promote, basically giving their customers no options and trapping them into their service, so they can increase prices and their profits and customers have nowhere else to go. But there is a breaking point for customers and other companies will come into the market and offer better service for a lower price.