Why do most ISPs have such low upload speeds?

Question

I've noticed the difference between upload and download has increased vastly over the years... back on 56k, download was only twice as fast as upload. Today, On my 'turbo' cable, i get 25m down 1m up... a difference of 25 times. I know this difference is pretty typical.

I know that in terms of raw backbone fiber pricing, upload and download speeds are identical. However, I heard there is more server processing required for upload at the ISP, but this would be the only real difference that would affect pricing (I think).

Any thoughts on why upload is kept so low? For me, 25m down is very similar to 10m down in terms of usefulness, but upload could stand to be a LOT faster. Do you think corporations pressure ISPs to keep upload bandwidth low to put a chokehold on piracy? Do they just want corporations to control the large transfers that happen on the internet, so homemade content isn't as fast? Any other reason?

Answer 1

The asymmetric nature of most residential broadband is the way it is for a couple of reasons.



One is basic network architecture, based on usage patterns. Your average internet user doesn't upload much. They check their email, they browse the web, maybe they connect to the work VPN from home to download files to work on. All of these activities involve heavy downstream, very little upstream.



Consider an average website load. The user sends an HTTP GET request of maybe 30 bytes upstream, and the web server responds with maybe hundreds of KB downstream. The nature of the internet and the law of averages converge here; most folks use 100X the downstream as upstream. Add in folks who are listening to streaming radio, or watching YouTube videos, 90% or more of internet users download far, far more than they upload. So the ISPs have optimized their networks for this pattern.



Another issue is that most of the broadband ISPs are owned by companies who are also media providers. Think Time Warner, for example. It's not in Time Warner's best interest for their RoadRunner customers to be sharing media files, considering Time Warner owns all sorts of movie studios, media outlets, etc. So yes, piracy is a concern.

Answer 2

I disagree with the entire argument that users don't use upload so it is limited. That makes no sense. If users don't use it then it would not need to be limited. They limit it to prevent users from using it.

Limited upload is for one reason only. They can charge more for companies and people with servers that need more upload.

Answer 3

this is the thank you to offer extra perfect provider. by way of fact maximum folk do not upload lots, they reserve extra of their bandwidth for downloading. this means that internet pages gets carry of swifter. the only importing that maximum folk do is sending digital mail, which (till they are sending photos or sound archives) is composed of basically some ok at a time, so a slower upload velocity won't worry them. each time you open a internet web site you're downloading, any time you get digital mail you're downloading. the two a sort of contain lots somewhat some ok (digital mail incorporates unsolicited mail), so a swifter get carry of velocity somewhat facilitates.

Answer 4

it varies between your upload server, sometimes the server your trying to download to may limit the amount of upload at a time.



secondly it may be your exchange location, depending on the distance of where your exchange is ..the lesser download /upload rate you may get.