Verizon admits to capping video streaming speeds on their network, says it’s only test

After the folks at The Verge noticed Verizon capping data speeds in relation to streaming video, it began raising some eyebrows, specifically in regard to Net Neutrality. Today, Verizon is coming clean.

In a statement released to ArsTechnica, Verizon admits to the speed caps but they’re avoiding use of the word “throttling.” It’s more like “video optimization.” Verizon says they were merely testing video optimizations on their network where some customers were limited to around 10Mbps speeds (despite SpeedTest.net showing 80Mbps) whenever streaming YouTube, Netflix, or other video services. Apparently this was only a “temporary test” and should be completed soon.

Verizon is quick to point out that the throttling capped speeds didn’t affect video quality, something we’re guessing was a dig at T-Mobile who’s unlimited plan option capped users to 480p video — regardless of data speeds — across a handful of video apps and services.

The FCC has yet to rollback Title II which requires carriers to treat all web traffic equally, so it’s unclear if Verizon could be violating Net Neutrality which seems to be on its way out the door.

via The Verge