Advertised vs. Actual Internet Speeds | Are You Getting Ripped Off?

It’s one of the most common frustrations in modern life: A Zoom meeting glitches or your Netflix show takes forever to load, and you can’t help but wonder, “Is this really the internet I’m paying so much for?” In most cases, the answer is a resounding “no.” Our data shows that cable and fiber are by far the most common home internet connections in the U.S., but they’re also the most likely to under-deliver, with most people getting only a quarter of the speeds they’re paying for.  On the other end of the internet speed spectrum, satellite, DSL and fixed wireless providers advertise more modest speeds than cable and fiber, but they’re far more likely to actually reach them.In fact, our data shows that these connection types actually get you faster speeds than they advertise most of the time.Our methodology To determine the difference between advertised speeds and actual speeds Americans are getting, the Allconnect team evaluated internal data on actual speeds recorded between October and December 2020 and compared that to the advertised speeds offered by providers.

To determine the difference between advertised speeds and actual speeds Americans are getting, the Allconnect team evaluated internal data on actual speeds recorded between January 2022 and April 2023 and compared that to the advertised speeds purchased through Allconnect from each provider during the same period.We also compared our results to data from the FCC’s Measuring Broadband America program, which gauges whether internet service providers are delivering on the internet speeds they promise.The 13th report was released in August 2024, and used data collected in September and October 2022.

Learn more about our research Read more Read less On average, Americans are only getting 32% of the speed they pay for Overall, our data showed a significant gap between the internet speeds that providers are advertising and the speeds that users are actually experiencing.On average, home internet connections in the U.S.hover around 300 Mbps in download speed.  That’s a high number, to be sure — well above the 100 Mbps that the FCC defines as the minimum required to be considered broadband, and enough to stream Netflix in 4K on five screens at once and scroll through Facebook all at the same time.

But it’s still significantly lower than internet service providers say you’ll get when you sign up.The download speed that’s advertised in an average American internet plan is 408 Mbps. However, ISPs only promise that you’ll get “up to” those speeds, so they’re not technically under-delivering.Cable and fiber speeds are lower than advertised The connection types that are most responsible for that gap are cable and fiber internet.

By and large, these plans advertise extraordinary speeds.Right now, major internet service providers like Verizon and Xfinity claim their fiber plans reach “gig speed,” or download speeds of 1,000 Mbps.  While some customers might reach those heights, the reality is much closer to earth.On average, fiber internet plans advertise 414 Mbps of download speeds but only reach 100 Mbps in practice.  The gap is smaller with cable internet connections, which are still far more common in the U.S.

than fiber.These plans have an advertised download speed of 404 Mbps on average, while in reality, it only delivers 168 Mbps.  DSL, satellite and fixed wireless connections are actually faster than advertised While most Americans utilize a cable or fiber internet connection, these aren’t available in many rural parts of the country.In these areas, users typically rely on slower DSL, satellite or fixed wireless connections.

While these plans advertise slower speeds — typically around 20 Mbps — they’re far more likely to actually reach them.In fact, our data showed that the speeds DSL, satellite and fixed wireless users receive are actually higher than what they’re paying for.  Which internet providers delivered on their speed? The chart below is taken from the FCC’s most recent Measuring Broadband America report.It shows how each internet service provider delivered on its advertised speeds.

In the FCC’s analysis, each of the DSL providers delivered lower speeds than advertised, while cable and fiber providers were typically faster than promised.   Overall, Mediacom came out the best in the FCC’s analysis, providing download speeds nearly 30% higher than advertised.Altafiber (formerly Cincinnati Bell) DSL customers got the worst deal of the 12 providers the FCC tested, receiving less than 90% of the download speeds they’re paying for.Why is Allconnect’s data different from the FCC’s? Allconnect’s internal data shows that cable and fiber internet providers advertise faster speeds than they actually deliver, while the FCC’s report shows the opposite.

Why the disparity? To start, the FCC only evaluated 12 internet providers in their most recent report.These providers must actively choose to be a part of the Measuring Broadband America program, and some companies, like AT&T and HughesNet, did not participate this year.In addition, The Wall Street Journal reported that the FCC’s numbers are often severely inflated.

Companies wield tremendous influence over the study and often employ tactics to boost their scores, according to interviews with more than two dozen industry executives, engineers and government officials.As a result, the FCC’s report likely gives consumers an unreliable measure of internet providers’ performances by overstating speeds.Shalini Ramachandran, Lillian Rizzo and Drew FitzGerald The Wall Street Journal According to the report, the FCC lets ISPs know which customers are going to be a part of the speed tests, so they can provide faster speeds to those households to juice their numbers.

They also rely on the companies to tell them what speed plan a user is signed up for.As former FCC chairman Tom Wheeler put it, “How can you go to the party who controls the information and say, ‘please give me information that may implicate you?’” Allconnect’s analysis, on the other hand, relied on over 60,000 internet connections recorded over several months.While the FCC determined that, for most major providers, “measured download speeds were 100% or better than advertised speeds,” our results weren’t quite so rosy.

How to boost your internet speed Although your internet could be slow because of your provider, many internet speed issues don’t have anything to do with your provider’s network.You may need to add a Wi-Fi extender upstairs in your home to boost your signal or move your internet router to optimize your connection.There’s also the possibility that your favorite activities require faster internet speeds than you have.

If that’s the case, you may need to upgrade your internet plan to get more bandwidth,  especially if your home has lots of connected devices.If you’re experiencing internet speeds slower than you expect from your plan, try a few troubleshooting steps to improve your connection: Reset your internet equipment Move your equipment to a central location in your home Add a Wi-Fi extender to your home network Upgrade to a mesh router to improve coverage Check for malware Upgrade your internet plan to a faster speed tier  Explore more tips to boost your internet connection.  FAQs What is a fast internet speed? The minimum standard for broadband speed is 100 Mbps, but fast internet can be anything above that, depending on your internet activities.Gigabit and multi-gigabit internet is generally considered very fast internet.

Are the advertised speeds of my internet plan upload or download speeds? The speeds your ISP advertises on their website is usually the download speed of your internet plan, since its often a higher number than the upload speed unless you have symmetrical speeds.The upload speed can be listed alongside the download speed, but is sometimes hidden within the fine print.What do I do if my speeds are slower than my ISPs advertised speeds? First, check to make sure there’s not another issue causing slow internet speeds.

If this is not the case, your provider may just be advertising faster speeds than you’ll ever get.Read the fine print on your internet plan and consider upgrading to a faster plan if you need more speed.For researchers and journalists If you would like to know more about this topic, we can assist you.

Our experts can help you dig deeper into the data.Email our experts What to read next Read more Featured The best Wi-Fi routers of 2025 Camryn Smith — 7 min read Featured Tips to improve your internet connection and boost Wi-Fi signal Camryn Smith — 6 min read Featured How much internet speed do I need? Robin Layton — 8 min read Latest Monday, December 22, 2025 Advertised vs.actual internet speeds — Are you getting the internet speeds you pay for? Camryn Smith — 5 min read Thursday, December 18, 2025 Americans are getting 302 Mbps in download speed, but are you? Robin Layton — 5 min read Friday, December 12, 2025 The hidden internet fees you pay with each provider Lisa Iscrupe — 8 min read