TORONTO – Rogers is hoping the results of a study released Thursday of its internet speeds by an independent broadband performance tester will provide legitimate proof to customers of its high-speed claims.
The study, based on data collected in customer homes by UK-based SamKnows Ltd., was commissioned by Rogers as part of a series of initiatives to help customers be confident that they are in fact getting the download speeds that they are paying for.
The SamKnows study reported that Rogers delivered on average 100 per cent or more on both uploads and downloads on its most popular packages: Lite, Express, Extreme, and Extreme Plus.
“Here’s the problem: how do you get people to believe our speeds are faster than advertised?” said John Boynton, Rogers EVP and chief marketing officer. “We've made significant investments in our network infrastructure allowing us to offer faster download speeds. This new independent test shows that we’re delivering the internet speeds we advertise to give our customers added assurance that they're getting what they pay for.”
Based on studies conducted by SamKnows in the U.S., Rogers outperforms U.S. fibre-to-the-node service providers, delivering 106% of advertised download speeds during peak hours compared to the U.S. average of 97%.
In a separate study of broadband speeds in Europe, Alex Salter, CEO of SamKnows said the company found European internet service providers delivered only 74% of advertised speeds during peak hours.
Rogers said it is the first Canadian ISP to enter into a large home-based speed testing program as part of its overall commitment to deliver the best network experience. The company has invested more than $10 billion in network infrastructure to enhance its internet service to customers.
Rogers also recently launched its Ultimate package, offering download speeds of up to 150 Mbps to its Ontario customers.
The results of the SamKnows report are based approximately 200,000 speed tests conducted during May 2013, using a custom hardware device called a Whitebox that was plugged into the existing internet connection in a customer’s home.
Boynton said the testing program with SamKnows is ongoing. Rogers will be looking to do more tests with SamKnows on its faster service tiers. Additional results will be released in the coming months.
