Reports and Analysis

Since 1999, NetForecast has been providing independent reporting and analysis on internet performance, enabling network service providers to detect and resolve network latency and other performance issues.

At a time when digital connectivity matters more than ever, we help ensure the best possible user experience across an increasingly complex ecosystem of partners. We also audit and report on the accuracy of internet data usage meters.

Below is a library of our most current research and analysis.

2024 Inflight Connectivity Latency Report

This report explains how and why latency degrades the user experience, and identifies ideal latency ranges for users to be satisfied with the performance of commonly used applications while connected on commercial flights.


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2024 ISP Performance Report

This report provides an in-depth performance evaluation of major US and Western European ISPs. Drawing on data from Cloudflare's AIM project, NetForecast evaluated critical user experience metrics to identify significant disparities in ISP performance.


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PEP Report

This NetForecast report on how satellite PEP protocols can degrade a passenger’s Wi-Fi experience is as true today as when it was written in 2019. In real-world tests of satellite internet performance, NetForecast identified key factors that caused PEP to adversely affect the user experience.


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2022 Latency Benchmark Report

The internet does not deliver the same user experience everywhere across the US, even in “high tech” cities— and latency in the last mile is the major contributor to user frustration. 


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5G vs LEO vs Cable Home Internet Performance

NetForecast tested and compared performance across a representative collection of fixed wireless, LEO satellite, and cable network providers from December 2022 through May 2023.


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NetForecast’s Comment on the FCC’s Proposed Broadband “Nutrition Label”

NetForecast's response to the FCC’s request for comment on Its proposed broadband “Nutrition Label,” recommending that better latency performance data be included on labels for consumers to comparison shop.


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Q2 2021 Internet Latency Benchmark Report

This report covers latency and loss performance in 10 U.S. metro areas from five ISPs from April through June 2021.


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ISP performance; ISP latency; internet performance

NetForecast Report Analyzes ISP Latency Patterns from March 2020 through March 2021

NetForecast measured internet latency and packet loss for five major US ISPs across 10 metro areas for 13 months and uncovered a number of important trends.


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ISP performance; internet service provider performance; ISP latency; internet latency

Q1 2021 Internet Latency Benchmark Report

Quarterly report for Q1 2021 that scores internet latency experienced by users in the US by major metropolitan area and by major ISP.


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elearning; bandwidth elearning

NetForecast Report on Bandwidth Requirements for eLearning

Learning from the COVID pandemic, NetForecast identifies the minimum network bandwidth needed for an acceptable eLearning experience.


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NetForecast Report on Starlink Latency

NetForecast conducted a head-to-head comparison between Starlink and a cable ISP, finding it to show great potential to perform comparably to terrestrial ISPs.


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NetForecast’s First Internet Latency Benchmark Report

NetForecast’s groundbreaking Internet Latency Benchmark Report draws on end-to-end test data to produce a score that uniquely incorporates the contribution of latency and loss into a single latency/loss score that is sensitive to deviations from normal.


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videoconferencing; bandwidth videoconferencing; internet speeds

NetForecast’s Report on Minimum Network Bandwidth/Latency/Loss Thresholds for Acceptable Videoconferencing

A post-pandemic report that identifies the minimum network bandwidth, latency, and loss thresholds needed for acceptable videoconferencing.


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Century Link outage

CenturyLink’s Nationwide Outage as Measured by NetForecast’s Benchmark Reporting Network

As an independent Internet benchmarking service, NetForecast collects data nationwide to produce a score uniquely suited to reporting this type of event based on testing that always includes the middle mile and the combined contribution of latency and loss into a single score.


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Comcast’s Network Performance Measurement System Results Data

Comcast engaged NetForecast to review hourly summaries of measurements generated by the system to verify the collection methodology and system accuracy and to examine the impact of COVID-19 stay-at-home measures on the speed test results.


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NetForecast Design Audit Report of Comcast’s Network Performance Measurement System

Comcast engaged NetForecast to audit the design of their Internet connection speed measurement system to ensure it overcomes inherent shortcomings.


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Daily US Internet Latency Performance TrackerNOTE TO WEB EDITOR: This row is not visible in any of the 3 screen sizes in the Responsive settings. In other words, we removed this article from the site, but kept the code around in case it needed to be revived, i.e., commented it out.

Application Performance Index (Apdex) methodology combines latency and loss into a single score. Our live feeds update daily.

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