In a new marketing push, AT&T Fiber is seizing on the inherent disadvantage of cable broadband service – its slower upload speed capabilities. Contrasted with fiber broadband, current DOCSIS-based broadband service delivers much slower upload speed.
Upload speed has become much more of an issue these days, thanks to the pandemic. With so many people both working and schooling from home, upload bandwidth is at a premium. Family members are competing with each other for the “precious” upload commodity, which is important for video conference calls, remote learning, and online gaming, among other applications.
OpenVault tracks bandwidth usage through its OVBI index and has reported on the historic growth in upload traffic. According to the OVBI, at the beginning of the pandemic, upload traffic growth increased by close to 80% from 2019, a trend that continued throughout 2020.
With cable broadband’s upload limitations, you would think DOCSIS-based broadband providers would have a major problem on their hands. It’s a problem AT&T is hoping to capitalize on with its new marketing campaign.
Yet, the numbers don’t support the assertion. For the most part, cable broadband providers are performing quite well during the pandemic. Large cable broadband providers, despite the upload issue, are having some of their best broadband years on record.
Comcast added 538K broadband subscribers in 4Q 2020, and a total of 2 million in all of 2020, both of which are the best on record for the company. Both AT&T and Verizon are also seeing better fiber broadband growth, but it pales in comparison to the numbers cable broadband providers are delivering.
Whatever they are doing, cable broadband providers are convincing customers that their broadband service, slow upload speeds or not, is not only good enough, but obviously better when compared to the competition.
There does seem to be a small, and perhaps, growing crack in this cable broadband armor. A group of Baltimore teenagers started a campaign against Comcast and its Internet Essentials program, which provides discounted 25/3 Mbps service.
The teens complained the service was not adequate for remote learning activities, and even enlisted a Comcast insider to support their claim. Comcast responded, kind of. It increased the upload speed on that package from 3 Mbps to 5 Mbps.
Time will tell whether all of these new cable broadband customers are okay with slower upload speeds. Will they eventually regret not switching to more upload capable fiber broadband? The cable industry is addressing this issue. The industry’s 10G initiative will dramatically improve cable broadband upload speeds.
My upstream speed since upgrading from Comcast to AT&T fiber in May 2020 has gone from 5 Mbps to 100 Mbps. Night and day.
https://www.speedtest.net/results?sh=395f2b7de6c9e5dd1be035fa426faa3d
I get that over wireless all day not gig fiber witch you don’t even get truely anyways.
Well that’s great and all, but it doesn’t help even slightly out in rural TN where the at&t service can’t even squeak 1mbps upload out, and every single rep and tech I’ve spoken with says there isn’t even a tiny chance of the infrastructure in my area being upgraded, even going so far as saying if any wire pairs get broken they have been told to cancel that customer’s service rather than repair the wires.
So maybe at&t has better upload in cities but all the rural customers are jumping ship the second there is any alternative, let’s face it, paying nearly $80 a month for 18mbit down (honestly never see 16) and 1mbit up (0.7 is more like it) when there are advertisements for gigabit this and fiber that for half what we pay is a bit of a contentious way to do business.
Invest in starlink once it becomes a publicly traded company, if it’s a fraction of what they say, it’ll put telecoms out of business in rural areas.
If the name AT&T is on it, I will never be interested in it. They taught me that customers are completely unimportant. Once the contract is signed, they own you. Your needs as a client are now irrelevant; pay us and shut up!
Most people have no choice. It is one or the other. If they have a choice it is cost and who give the better deal. They are both overpriced. For along time my only choice was Comcast or Verizon DSL. Then Verizon stopped doing new installs. Fortunately Starry (wireless to antenna for the whole building) came in and for once there was a choice with a reasonable price, and with good customer service. Comcast offered to match the price, but with lousy customer service and price increase after one year. No thanks.