Led by Google Fiber, Cablevision Systems, Cox Communications, Suddenlink Communications and Charter Communications, the top five U.S. ISPs as ranked by Netflix remained unchanged in January while Verizon (DSL and FiOS Internet), AT&T U-verse, and Mediacom Communications all dropped at least one spot.
Taking the hardest hit in Netflix’s monthly ISP speed index for January was Mediacom Communications, which dropped five spots, to number 13 on a list that ranks 17 U.S. ISPs. Coincidentally, Mediacom, which provided an average Netflix streaming speed of 1.53 Mbps in January (versus 1.79 Mbps during the month prior), has been using a transparent caching system from Qwilt in favor of Open Connect, a private content delivery network that relies on Netflix-supplied edge caches. Until a shift in policy last September, Netflix had been withholding access to its “Super HD” library to subscribers who get broadband from ISPs that are part of Open Connect.
Among others losing ground in the Netflix index, AT&T U-verse dropped three spots, to number 12, delivering an average Netflix stream of 1.59 Mbps in the month of January.
