I've not experienced this. I've had Comcast and AT&T (DSL) and typically get 60-100% of the putative max speed. Sometimes it's under 50%, but then if I call in they admit that there's a problem. More importantly, I can do anything I want with 6 Mbps downstream. In fact, I had 6 until Comcast got rid of the plan, and I'd happily stick with that speed if I could pay 60% of my current bill. Maybe I'm peculiar in this regard, but we have 5 tablets, 4 computers, and 2 iPhones in our house. We're definitely not the "average" US household in this regard.
> "Broadband" used to mean "really fast". Redefining it to the lowest threshold that internet is usable does not sound reasonable to me.
Reasonable minds can differ on what this definition should reflect. If the government is going to regulate companies based on a definition, I'd rather it be closer to "minimum usable" rather than "really fast".
Then you can use that threshold with multipliers if you want, akin to how we use the poverty level threshold. (For example, you qualify for certain benefits if you have less than 150% or 200% of the poverty level.)
The definition is for what is available. It explicitly means that if a community literally has no 25 Mbps option, that ISPs aren't doing a good enough job with the millions they get in tax dollars. Are you really OK with a significant population of Americans being limited to the absolute bare-minimum?
My understanding is that this definition only impacts how statistics are reported (e.g., "80% of American's have broadband access at home"). So changing the definition does not affect people's actual speed, or any incentives that ISPs have to offer different packages.
For the purposes of reporting, I do think that 10 Mbps is the more appropriate threshold. Otherwise I would be counted in the "x percent of Americans without broadband access at home". Considering how much I do with my internet, and how happy I am with my speed tier, that would be a gross misrepresentation of my situation.
Unfortunately, most connections I've used give you a burst, and then drop drastically down, so you only experience the 12 Mbps for a second or two, then watch it fall over 30 seconds to around 1-2 Mbps.
Right now I have 20 Mbps fiber that is consistently 20 Mbps. It's right at the threshold that I would call "comfortable". I'm not sure I would be OK with half that.
"Broadband" used to mean "really fast". Redefining it to the lowest threshold that internet is usable does not sound reasonable to me.