May 31, 2022, 8:52 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Cable network operators market internet access with speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps). But what sounds like high-speed can sometimes be quite slow. Especially in the evening hours, streaming can experience video and audio dropouts.
For a long time, cable networks only delivered TV and radio. With high internet bandwidths, cable network operators have now surpassed Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). While a household with a DSL connection receives a maximum of 250 megabits per second (Mbps), cable internet offers up to 1000 Mbps, or gigabit speeds. The catch is in the “up to,” as the booked bandwidth is only achieved under nearly ideal conditions for both DSL and cable internet. This is due to the network structure. A specific bandwidth is provided for a certain number of households, which must be shared among the connected households. This is known as a shared medium. This situation often results in cable internet being much slower than the promised high bandwidths.
The Cable Network as a Shared Medium
The shared medium effect is comparable to a highway. If only one car is on a certain stretch, the driver can step on the gas. However, if thousands of cars are on the road, the average speed decreases.
This also applies to the data highway. Instead of cars, the cable network involves connected households. They are grouped into clusters. Each cluster has a specific total bandwidth available, which the households share.
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Too Large a Cluster, Too Many Users
If the DSL network is also a shared medium, why is the term so often associated with cable networks? Cable network operators have become victims of their own success. Too many households have subscribed to cable internet too quickly. According to the Association of Cable Network Operators ANGA, the number of customers has increased by 40 percent to 8.4 million in the past five years. Every third new customer of ANGA network operators chooses a plan with more than 200 Mbps. Around 1.7 million customers have so far booked bandwidths over 400 Mbps.
Cable network operators are therefore forced to expand their networks. They are reducing the size of the clusters, so fewer households share the total bandwidth per cluster. However, the network expansion is not progressing quickly enough. It also involves costs that are often avoided in the tough competition with DSL providers. The result: The clusters are too large, too many households share the total bandwidth, and cable internet is too slow.
Cable internet users especially notice this in the evening hours when many households go online. After being stuck in traffic on the highway after work, they find themselves in the rush hour of the data highway. The sharply increased use of digital applications such as video conferencing or streaming during the COVID-19 pandemic has recently exacerbated the problem for cable internet users.
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Conduct a Speed Test and Check the Router
If your cable internet is regularly too slow, causing video and audio issues while streaming, interruptions during online gaming, or long download times, you should perform a speed test of your internet connection. The broadband measurement by the Federal Network Agency is recommended. It’s best to conduct it at different times of the day to see when the bandwidth drops significantly.
If the bandwidth is consistently too low, an outdated router could also be the problem. If the router’s network ports operate only at 100 Mbps, an internet plan with 200 Mbps or more is of little use.
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Contact Support, Consider Switching Providers
Additionally, streaming problems or long downloads can also be related to the number of devices online simultaneously in the household. Cable internet with 50 Mbps may not be sufficient if three devices are streaming at the same time. If the cause cannot be determined, the cable network operator’s support should be consulted.
Be cautious if a plan with more bandwidth is recommended. This may not be very helpful, as the shared medium effect does not diminish if more bandwidth is requested in the same cluster. In that case, switching providers may be the only solution.