ISP Report Card 2025: Real Speeds vs Advertised Plans

Every ISP promises blazing fast speeds in their advertising. "Up to 1 Gbps!" "Lightning-fast fiber!" "Supercharged 5G!" But how do these promises hold up in the real world? The answer varies dramatically depending on the provider, the technology, and where you live. In this analysis, we break down what major U.S. ISPs actually deliver versus what they advertise -- and more importantly, we look beyond speed to the connection health metrics that determine your actual experience.

Why Advertised Speeds Are Misleading

ISPs use the phrase "up to" for a reason. Advertised speeds represent theoretical maximum throughput under ideal conditions -- typically measured with a single device on a wired connection during off-peak hours to a nearby server. Your actual experience differs because of network congestion during peak hours, shared bandwidth on cable networks, Wi-Fi overhead, routing to real-world destinations, and the connection health factors like bufferbloat and jitter that ISPs rarely mention.

The FCC's annual Measuring Broadband America report has consistently shown that while most ISPs deliver close to advertised download speeds in their own tests, the real-world experience gap grows when you factor in peak-hour slowdowns, upload performance, and latency metrics. The type of connection technology matters enormously: fiber optic connections typically deliver 93-98% of advertised speeds consistently, while cable, 5G fixed wireless, and satellite connections show much more variability.

Major ISP Performance Overview

Here is a snapshot of how major U.S. ISPs typically perform across the metrics that matter. These ranges represent typical performance based on FCC data, independent testing organizations, and published research. Individual results will vary by location, plan tier, and home network setup.

Fiber ISPs: Verizon Fios and AT&T Fiber

Fiber optic connections consistently deliver the best overall internet experience, and it is not close. The physics of fiber -- data traveling as light through glass strands -- provides inherent advantages in latency, consistency, and symmetrical upload/download speeds that no other consumer technology can match.

Verizon Fios

Verizon Fios consistently ranks among the top-performing ISPs in independent testing. Fiber-to-the-home delivery means minimal signal degradation, and Verizon's network infrastructure is well-maintained. Typical users see 95-98% of their advertised download speeds, with average ping times of 8-12ms -- among the lowest of any major ISP. Upload speeds on Fios plans are symmetrical (matching download speeds), which is a significant advantage for video calls, streaming, and cloud backups.

Where Fios truly excels is in the connection health metrics most ISPs ignore. Low jitter (typically 2-5ms), minimal bufferbloat (generally grading A to B), and consistent performance even during peak hours make Fios connections feel responsive and reliable. The main drawback is limited availability -- Fios is only available in parts of the northeastern United States.

AT&T Fiber

AT&T Fiber delivers similarly excellent performance to Verizon Fios, with typical delivery rates of 93-97% of advertised speeds. AT&T offers plans up to 5 Gbps in select markets, making it the fastest consumer ISP by advertised speed. Latency is slightly higher than Fios on average (10-15ms) but still excellent for all applications. Bufferbloat performance is generally good (A to B), though some users with AT&T-provided gateway devices report moderate bufferbloat that can be resolved with proper router configuration.

AT&T Fiber has broader geographic availability than Fios, covering parts of 21 states, and AT&T continues to expand its fiber footprint aggressively. The symmetrical upload speeds and low jitter make it an excellent choice for remote workers and streamers.

Cable ISPs: Comcast Xfinity and Spectrum

Cable internet remains the most widely available broadband technology in the United States, and Comcast Xfinity and Spectrum are the two largest cable ISPs. Cable connections use DOCSIS technology over coaxial cable and can deliver impressive download speeds. However, cable has structural limitations that affect connection health.

Comcast Xfinity

Comcast Xfinity offers plans from 200 Mbps to 1.2 Gbps, and download speeds generally deliver 80-90% of advertised rates. However, Xfinity's connection health metrics tell a different story. Cable networks are shared among neighborhood nodes, meaning peak-hour congestion can reduce speeds significantly. More critically, many Xfinity-provided gateways have substantial bufferbloat (often grading C to D), which causes latency to spike during simultaneous usage.

Upload speeds on Xfinity are asymmetrical and significantly lower than download speeds -- typically 5-35 Mbps depending on the plan. For households with multiple video calls or remote workers uploading large files, this asymmetry creates a genuine bottleneck. Average ping is 15-25ms (reasonable but noticeably higher than fiber), and jitter tends to be higher than fiber at 5-15ms during normal usage, climbing during peak hours.

Spectrum

Spectrum (owned by Charter Communications) performs similarly to Comcast in most metrics, with typical delivery rates of 85-92% of advertised speeds. Spectrum's plans range from 300 Mbps to 1 Gbps. Like Comcast, Spectrum is a shared cable network with similar peak-hour congestion characteristics.

One notable difference: Spectrum has been rolling out upgraded DOCSIS 3.1 infrastructure more aggressively in some markets, which can improve latency and reduce congestion compared to older DOCSIS 3.0 nodes. Upload speeds are similarly asymmetrical (10-35 Mbps range). Bufferbloat grades tend to fall in the C to D range with ISP-provided equipment, though users who supply their own modem and router with SQM can significantly improve this.

Wireless ISPs: T-Mobile 5G Home and Starlink

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a fixed wireless service that uses T-Mobile's cellular 5G network to deliver home broadband. It is an attractive option in areas without fiber or cable, and its pricing is competitive. However, the wireless nature introduces significant variability.

Typical real-world speeds range from 60-80% of advertised rates, but the variation is the real story. Speeds can fluctuate dramatically based on tower congestion, time of day, weather, and even where the gateway device is placed in your home. Latency averages 25-45ms -- acceptable but not great for competitive gaming. Jitter is often the biggest challenge, commonly ranging 10-30ms, which can affect video call quality. Bufferbloat grades vary widely from C to F depending on congestion.

Starlink

Starlink has been revolutionary for rural users who previously had no broadband options. Download speeds typically range from 50-220 Mbps, but performance is highly variable -- influenced by satellite constellation density, weather, obstructions, and the number of users in your cell. Latency averages 25-60ms with low-earth orbit satellites (dramatically better than traditional satellite internet's 600ms+), but it still cannot match terrestrial connections.

The biggest connection health challenge with Starlink is consistency. Brief interruptions as the antenna switches between satellites cause periodic packet loss and jitter spikes. Bufferbloat tends to grade D to F. For web browsing and streaming (which buffer content), Starlink is transformative. For real-time applications like competitive gaming and professional video calls, the inconsistency can be frustrating.

Best ISP by Activity Type

Different activities have different connection requirements. Raw speed matters less than you think -- connection health metrics like latency, jitter, and bufferbloat determine the experience for most real-time applications.

Best ISP for Gaming

Verizon Fios takes the top spot for gaming thanks to its consistently low latency (8-12ms average), minimal jitter (2-5ms), and excellent bufferbloat grades. Low latency and low jitter are the two metrics that matter most for gaming -- they determine input responsiveness and whether you experience rubber-banding. AT&T Fiber is a close second. Cable ISPs are decent for casual gaming but may struggle during peak hours or when others on the network are active. T-Mobile 5G and Starlink are workable for casual gaming but not recommended for competitive play.

Best ISP for Streaming

AT&T Fiber and Verizon Fios tie for streaming, but the reality is that any ISP delivering 25+ Mbps consistently can handle a single 4K stream. The differentiator is consistency -- fiber connections maintain throughput reliably, while cable and wireless connections may dip during congestion. For households streaming on multiple devices simultaneously, fiber's consistent throughput and low bufferbloat prevent the degradation that cable connections often experience under multi-stream loads.

Best ISP for Remote Work and Video Calls

Verizon Fios edges ahead for video conferencing due to its combination of low jitter, minimal bufferbloat, and symmetrical upload speeds. Video calls are extremely sensitive to jitter and latency under load -- when someone in your household starts downloading a file during your important meeting, a connection with good bufferbloat handling keeps your call smooth while one without it causes freezing and audio drops. Fiber's symmetrical upload speeds also ensure your video and audio reach other participants clearly. Cable ISPs' asymmetrical uploads (often 5-35 Mbps) can be a bottleneck for households with multiple simultaneous video calls.

How to Test Your Own ISP's Real Performance

National averages and industry benchmarks are useful for comparison, but what matters is how your specific connection performs at your specific address. Here is how to get an honest assessment of your ISP's real-world performance:

1. Run a comprehensive test at pong.com -- Unlike basic speed tests, pong.com measures speed, latency, jitter, bufferbloat, and packet loss through the real public internet. This gives you a complete picture of your connection health, not just raw throughput.
2. Test during peak hours (7-10 PM) -- This is when your neighborhood's shared network infrastructure is most congested. Peak-hour performance is your worst-case scenario and the experience you should plan around.
3. Test on a wired connection first -- Plug directly into your modem or router with an Ethernet cable to establish your baseline ISP performance without Wi-Fi variables.
4. Check your bufferbloat grade -- This single metric explains more about real-world experience than speed alone. A grade of C or worse means your connection quality degrades significantly under load.
5. Compare your real-world scores -- Pong.com's gaming, streaming, and video call scores synthesize multiple metrics into predictions of how well each activity will actually work on your connection.
6. Test multiple times over a week -- A single test is a snapshot. Running tests at different times over several days reveals patterns like peak-hour congestion, early-morning maintenance windows, and day-to-day consistency.

Armed with these results, you can make informed decisions about whether your ISP is delivering acceptable performance, whether a plan upgrade would help (spoiler: if your problem is bufferbloat, more speed will not fix it), and whether switching providers is warranted.

Regional Variations and Why They Matter

ISP performance is not uniform across their service areas. The same ISP and plan tier can deliver dramatically different experiences in different cities, neighborhoods, and even different streets. Several factors drive these regional variations:

• Node congestion -- Cable networks share bandwidth among neighborhood nodes. A node serving 50 homes performs differently than one serving 500. ISPs manage this by splitting overloaded nodes, but some areas wait years for upgrades.
• Infrastructure age -- Newer neighborhoods often have more modern infrastructure. Areas with recently deployed fiber or upgraded DOCSIS 3.1 nodes outperform areas still running on older equipment.
• Peering agreements -- Your ISP's peering arrangements with content providers vary by region. A path to Netflix might be well-provisioned in one city and congested in another.
• Tower density (wireless) -- For T-Mobile 5G Home and similar fixed wireless services, performance depends heavily on how close you are to a tower and how many users share it.
• Terrain and distance -- For Starlink, geographic latitude and local obstructions affect performance. For DSL connections, distance from the central office determines speed.

This is why national ISP rankings can only tell you so much. A Comcast connection in a recently upgraded neighborhood might outperform an AT&T Fiber connection in a congested area. The only way to know how your connection performs is to test it comprehensively. Run a connection health test at pong.com to see where your specific connection stands across all the metrics that matter.

Frequently Asked Questions