Which Internet Provider Is The Best For Streaming Netflix?

How well you’ll be able to stream season two of Breaking Bad on Netflix may depend largely on which company you’re paying to provide internet service to your home. Netflix has just released the results of its own study on network performance and the results may not surprise you.

Topping the list and consistently faster than all other providers was Verizon FiOS. And while it may not shock anyone that a fiber-optic network would beat out all cable internet providers, it’s interesting to note that results for AT&T’s fiber network were often slower than almost all the cable companies involved in the study.

Most of the major cable providers — Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter and Cablevision — appear to be delivering similar speeds, all generally faster than what AT&T fiber-optic customers are seeing. Only one cable company, Suddenlink, fared consistently worse than AT&T.

In terms of DSL service, there was a wider range of performance speeds represented. And while Verizon FiOS may have been the fastest overall network, its DSL network ranked among the slowest in the study.

If you have a choice of DSL, it looks like CenturyLink’s network performed the best in the Netflix study. However, even the best DSL networks were significantly slower than the worst-performing cable provider.

See the full chart at the Netflix Tech Blog [via HackingNetflix]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.