Internet providers maintain speeds as users upgrade

• Internet service providers hit advertised speeds 97%25 of time.
• Consumers subscribing to faster broadband services.
• FCC Chairman%3A more%2C faster broadband needed.

Internet service providers are continuing to deliver the speeds they advertise, as consumers migrate to faster speeds, a new federal report says.

The Federal Communications Commission has released its third "Measuring Broadband America" report and finds that Internet service providers (ISPs), on average, delivered 97% of advertised download speeds during peak hours (7 p.m.-10 p.m. local time). That's about the same speed the FCC found in its previous report from July 2012 – and much better than the agency's finding of 87% for download speeds in its initial April 2012 report. ISPs delivered 108% of advertised upload speeds, up slightly from 107% in July 2012.

Across all tiers of service, 10% or more of consumers in the study had subscribed to higher-tier subscriptions with faster broadband service since the previous study. The largest increases were found in users with 0-1 Megabits per second (Mbps), nearly half of whom (46%) upgraded. Twenty percent or more of those with service of 1-3 Mbps, 7-10 Mbps and 25-30 Mbps upgraded, too.

Overall, the average subscribed speed is now 15.6 Mbps up from 14.3 Mbps, about 20% higher than six months previously.

"Faster broadband has brought untold benefits to millions of Americans – from distance learning to distance healthcare," said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in a statement. "This is good news for consumers and the economy, but we can't be satisfied. To unleash innovation and realize broadband's full potential, we must continue to see increases in broadband speed and capacity."

Among the types of home broadband delivery technology studied — cable, DSL fiber optic and satellite — satellite did the best, delivering, on average, 137% of advertised speed in prime time (however, satellite services are more likely to be affected by latency). Fiber slipped to 115% of advertised speeds from 117% in July 2012. Cable held steady at 99%, while DSL rose to 85% from 84%.

Most ISPs performed about the same as in the July 2012 study. However, Frontier Communications improved its performance by 13%. The FCC study covers 14 ISPs serving about 80% of U.S. homes. More than 6,700 volunteer homes were monitored during September 2012 for the new report. The agency has posted the entire report on its website.