http://blog.streamingmedia.com/2014/06/netflix-isp-newdata.html
The above post and others by Dan Rayburn on his streamingmedia.com site clearly point out that the Verizon/Netflix problem is complicated, but the chart shows in no uncertain term that we FIOS subscribers are receiving worse Netflix performance than we used to get. Actually, a lot worse.
Compare the FIOS performance with Cox - who just happens to be the competing ISP in my area. I understand that compared to Verizon, Cox is tiny. And I understand that Cox is not a fiber optic provider (which is precisely why I switched from Cox to Verizon years ago.)
My point is that as individual consumers we are not privy to nor have access to the intermediate net transport companies that Netflix relies on to get content to various ISPs, Verizon in particuar. But of course Verizon does. And since we are paying Verizon for the service we want we rely on them to be responsible enough to actually provide the service we are paying for.
This they are not doing. Perhaps it's becuase they were asleep at the switch and failed to properly forecast overall network traffic loads. Perhaps it's becuase they are too stingy to pay Netflix or some intermediary transport their desired tolls. Perhaps they can't get the necessary equipment installed for some other technical or supplier problem. Or perhaps their lawyers weren't alert enough to negotiate a solid Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Neteflix when they first established a relatiponship witht them.
Frankly it doesn't really matter. What does matter is that we, the Verizon customers, have not been getting the service we are paying for. And it looks like (based on other articles on streamingmedia.com) that we will not be getting it any time soon.
Is there any other kind of business that can get away scott-free with under-serving so many of its customers for so long?