Internet Service Value Factor (ISVF)

What is the best, analytical way to compare one Internet Service to another?

We decided to create a formula that anybody can use to compare their basic Internet service value to another Internet provider.  This factor does NOT include other costs like data caps, customer support, latency issues, outages,  responsiveness, in-house troubleshooting, etc.

We invite you to do your own speed tests and gather your download, upload, monthly cost, and latency values and do the comparisons yourself!

There are only three parameters that you need to calculate a basic comparable factor when comparing raw Internet Service levels.

  • Download speed  = Averaged** and measured at your site Download Speed in MB/sec
  • Upload speed = Averaged** and measured at your site Upload Speed in MB/sec
  • Monthly Cost = Cost per month for that service that includes service and any equipment rental

**Averaged speed is an averaged, measured, and random speed test performed by your choice of speed tests during the day at your premise on your network. It is not the advertised max speed of the provider.

Internet Service Value Factor (ISVF) Units = MB/Dollar

We suggest using the following formula for calculating ISVF because it gives equal weight and value to both upload and download speeds:
ISVF = Download Speed/Monthyly Cost (dollars) + Upload speed/Monthly Cost

Three Example Calculations based on Approximate costs/speeds:

AT&T U-VERSE

  • Download speed: 25 MB
  • Upload speed: 7 MB
  • Cost: $50/Month
  • ISVP = 25/50 + 7/50 =  0.64 MB/Dollar

Comcast

  • Download speed: 350 MB
  • Upload speed: 20 MB
  • Cost: $60
  • ISVP = 350/60 + 15/60 =  6.15  MB/Dollar

LAH Community Fiber with 1 GB service

  • Download speed: 949 MB
  • Upload speed: 941 MB
  • Cost: $ 155/month (currently); $70/month expected by 2024
  • ISVP = 949/155 + 941/155 = 12.2 MB/Dollar
    949/70 + 941/70 = 27.3 MB/Dollar

LAH Community Fiber with 10 GB service

10 GB test circuit from LAH LAHCF resident home to Internet backhaul in San Jose area. – Yes – that is 9,635 MB/sec. If you are running UVERSE at 20 MB/sec down, this is 481 times faster!
  • Download speed:  9635
  • Upload speed:  9542
  • : $ 155/month (currently); $70/month expected by 2024
  • ISVP = 124 MB/Dollar; 273 MB/Dollar

The 4-Value Calculation — ISVFL — Internet Service Value Factor With Latency

Another popular, but more complex, calculation factors in network latency. This number typically appears on your speed test and if that number is too large, the overall performance of your service can be severely impacted.

So, with these 4 values, the latency needs to value in the calculation after the ISVP calculation is obtained as latency affects both up and downstream performance.

ISVFL = ISVP/Latency (ms) x 1000

Note: Multiplication by 1000 is done to create a whole number for easier comparison rather than a decimal number and values with MB/sec/Dollar/Sec

This calculation really makes the LAH Fiber solution an even more valued number compared to other systems since our latency is so low.

Example Calculations

AT&T U-Verse

  • Latency**= 30.41 ms
    **Across their coverage area, the average latency on AT&T Internet Internet speed tests is 30.41ms.   (May 2020)
  • ISVFL =  0.64/30 ms x 1000 = 21.3

Comcast 

  • Latency: 28.86 ms**
    **Comcast Latency: Throughout their coverage footprint, the average latency on Xfinity Internet speed tests is 28.86ms. For context, terrestrial connections usually perform in the 5–70ms range
  • ISVFL = 6.15/28.6 x 1000 = 215
LAH Community Fiber – 1 GB service
  • Latency = 1 ms (see screenshot above)
  • ISVFL =  27.3 / 1ms  x  1000 = 27,300
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