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Telstra offers six explanations for its dud Netflix rating

We've got SO MUCH COPPER it hurts, says Big T

Telstra has come up with six reasons for Netflix's rating of it as the worst-performing broadband network in Australia.

In a rambling post Telstra's networks group managing director Mike Wright offers a bunch of mitigating factors that Vulture South thinks constitute six arguments:

  1. Netflix doesn't compare like for like, so its ratings aren't fair to us
  2. When you assess our network performance on metrics we like, our network gets a better rating
  3. We're rated to deliver HD video on Cable! And at least SD on DSL
  4. We're so freaking big and deliver broadband to so many out-of-the-way basket cases that our average speed gets dragged down. You should thank us for this because if we didn't serve the basket cases nobody would. Also lots of people just love our service and can stream video on it JUST FINE
  5. Sheesh! Whaddya expect from DSL, people? You do know speed decreases the further you get from the exchange! So none of this is our fault
  6. We're spending like crazy to make our network better, no matter what bits peeps want to download from anyone. So no, we're TOTALLY NOT protecting our Foxtel investment.

Long story short? Netflix's metrics weren't kind to Telstra because the streamer's method of counting doesn't reflect the way bits move in the real world. And in that world, Telstra reckons its doing alright.

Let's not leave this discussion, however, without considering what Netflix stands to gain from marking Telstra down. Telstra remains Australia's dominant internet service provider. Shaming it into either carrying its packets in a kinder way is clearly in Netflix's interests. So is pointing out to punters that they'll get a better Netflix experience with other ISPs, because if a few churn just to get a better Netflix experience they're clearly customers who care about the video, not the carrier. ®

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