We have just added January data to the “Netflix ISP Speed Index,” our monthly update on which Internet Service Providers (ISPs) provide the best Netflix streaming experience during primetime. With this update we have also added Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia to our rankings.
Netflix has been available throughout Latin America since September 2011. Broadband quality in the region has been improving since we launched and trends are headed in the right direction, except in Argentina where we see average speeds declining.
Brazil and Chile lead in providing the best experience in Latin America, followed by Colombia. These three countries provide average speeds that are higher than in the United States, which over the past months is seeing a downward trend in average speeds.
A few additional data points from the January update of the Netflix ISP Speed Index:
In Latin America, GVT in Brazil and GTD in Chile are consistently the fastest broadband providers. Both are examples of innovative ISPs that invest in new network technology and strive to optimize the experience for their customers.
In the US, Verizon (FiOS and DSL), AT&T U-verse and Mediacom slipped in the rankings while Time Warner Cable, Bright House, Windstream, Centurylink and Clearwire saw gains.
In Europe there were no major ranking shifts, but in Denmark, Norway and Sweden speeds on already low-ranked Telenor operated ISPs dropped further in January.
The Netflix ISP Speed Index is based on data from the more than 44 million Netflix members worldwide who view over 1 billion hours of TV shows and movies streaming from Netflix each month. The listed speeds reflect the average performance of all Netflix streams on each ISP's network and are an indicator of the performance typically experienced across all users on an ISP network. A faster network generally means a better picture quality, quicker start times and fewer interruptions.
Note: the average performance is below the peak performance due to many factors including the variety of encodes Netflix uses to deliver the TV shows and movies as well as the variety of devices members use and home network conditions. These factors cancel out when comparing across ISPs.
Below is our current ranking of regional ISPs.
Joris
Joris Evers is director of corporate communications at Netflix