Over the weekend, Netflix put out its first Regional ISP Speed Index Snapshot looking at the greater Boston area. We’ll be seeing more of these regional reports to come.
The most significant finding from this particular index is that no other ISP in the area “comes close to delivering as great a Netflix experience as RCN.” Those are Netflix’s words. So, that’s a pretty good endorsement for the ISP at a time when significant cord cutting is taking place.
“In the second quarter of 2013, the average speeds for Netflix streams on the RCN network in Boston outperformed other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) by as much as 70%,” says Greg Peters is chief streaming and partnerships officer at Netflix. “This means that those Netflix members who were also RCN customers enjoyed better picture quality, quicker access to their favorite TV shows and movies, and more reliable playback delivered via the Internet from Netflix, especially during peak viewing hours.”
“This is useful information for consumers when picking an ISP, especially for those thousands of university students who are moving to Boston before school begins,” he says. “When it comes to getting a great Internet connection, it is clear that a bigger ISP isn’t always a better ISP. In Boston, RCN delivers a very impressive connection, offering equal or better quality than fiber to the home.”
The regional snapshots are an extension of the regular ISP Speed Index that Netflix maintains, and updates on a monthly basis. On a national level, Google Fiber, Cablevision and Cox have been the top three ISPs for Netflix performance.