It doesn't matter what service provider you are with, connection speeds depend on many variables. You lucky complaining guys with DSL at least have a dedicated connection to the DSLAM (ADSL service interface) whereas I, on Persona, am even sharing bandwidth with the neighbors, which is only slightly bettter than dialup after school. None the less, the internet itself is a SHARED network which is what makes it work. Those 'speedtest' sites are useless, in my opinion, as if you trace the pings, they go to Montreal, Toronto, and God knows where else. Your download speeds depend on how busy the internet is (all pipelines, server availability, may include many service carriers, etc). Also, even with DSL, there are variables which can slow the connection down, such as how far you are from the serving office. Download speed is always greater than upload speed. Nothing is guarenteed in the data world unless you are willing to pay BIG bucks for 'guarenteed data transfer'. I'd guess that only certain govt services or banks would avail of this. THATS why it advertises MAX of 5M, and is possible all other things being equal. Read on the net a bit further about DSL technology. Also, most companies help desk support is manned by less than knowledgable people. In the end, we all wish we could all be faster, no matter what speed we get in the future......