Google started installing its 1 Gbps Google Fiber Internet service to the first subscribers in Kansas City, Kansas last month, and it was not a surprise to learn that in the real world, it was still pretty darn fast compared to your typical cable or DSL connection. Now Netflix, which uses more bandwidth than any other single online service in the US, has confirmed that Google Fiber is indeed the fastest ISP in the country.
In a post on the Netflix blog, the company posted up its ISP speed comparison chart, and announced that it would be posting these statistics every month from now on. Google Fiber has a 2.55 Mbps average speed for Netflix streaming, well ahead of the second place finisher, Verizon FiOS, which had a 2.19 average in November.
But wait; shouldn't the Google Fiber speed be a lot higher than 2.55 Mbps? In its blog, Netflix said:
The average performance is well below the peak performance due to a variety of factors including home Wi-Fi, a variety of devices, and a variety of encodes. The relative ranking, however, should be an accurate indicator of relative bandwidth typically experienced across all users, homes, and applications.
It's not a shock to learn AT&T's wireless network was dead last on the Netflix list with speeds of .48 Mbps, well below that of Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. We also suspect that Google Fiber will keep its top listing on Netflix's ISP streaming list for some time to come.
Source: Neflix blog | Image via Netflix
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