The speed at which Comcast streamed Netflix topped 2.5 megabits per second (Mbps) in March, up over 65% from a low of 1.5Mbps in January, according to Netflix's U.S. ISP Speed Index.
The massive boost in speed follows a highly publicized peering agreement reached by the two companies. Prior to the agreement, Comcast subscribers experienced a dramatic decline in Netflix streaming speeds.
Slowing streaming speeds led many to speculate that Comcast was throttling Netflix's traffic in the last-mile segment of its network. But there is evidence that the performance dip was actually the result of funnelling too much traffic to Netflix's transit provider — a middleman network that connects content providers like Netflix to Internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast.
By peering directly with Comcast, Netflix is able to bypass congested transit networks. "This month’s rankings are a great illustration of how performance can improve when ISPs work to connect directly to Netflix,"Netflix wrote in a blog post.
For an in-depth look at the Netflix-Comcast peering agreement, check out our recent report on the major players and underlying economics of video streaming.
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