When you shop for internet, the big cable monopolies love to show you one number: the download speed. They put it on billboards, in bold text on their flyers, and in the 5-second YouTube ads you can’t skip.

But they are hiding the number that actually matters.

If you look at the fine print of a standard cable plan, you will see a massive discrepancy. You might get 500 Mbps download, but only 10-25 Mbps upload. This is called asymmetrical speed. It is the industry standard for “Big Tech” companies because it allows them to maximize profit on aging copper infrastructure. These companies are relying on aging copper infrastructure that was put in the ground decades ago. Instead of doing the hard work of digging new lines and investing in modern fiber, they are “sweating the assets”—pushing the old wires to their breaking point to maximize their profit margins.

They are cutting corners on infrastructure while simultaneously raising your monthly rates. Every time your bill goes up, that money isn’t staying here to improve the network; it is being siphoned out of Washington to headquarters in Houston or the East Coast. They are selling you 1990s technology at 2025 prices, banking on the fact that you won’t notice the difference until you try to upload a file and your connection chokes.

At Connect Northwest, we don’t run on old copper. We run on physics. Here is the gritty reality of why “asymmetrical” is a trap, and why symmetrical fiber is the only way to drive on the modern internet.

Cable’s Hidden Speed Limit

The legacy internet was built for consumers. In the 90s and early 2000s, you were just “consuming” content—reading a webpage or downloading a song. You didn’t need to send much data back.

But the world changed. The cable networks didn’t.

Most providers in Washington—the “Big ISP” conglomerates—are still selling you that 1990s model. They give you a wide lane to pull data into your house, but a tiny dirt path to get data out. This is why your internet feels fast when you watch Netflix but falls apart the second you try to back up your iPhone or host a Zoom call.

The Power of Symmetrical Speed

We don’t believe in choking your connection. Connect Northwest offers symmetrical speeds.

If you sign up for our 10 Gig plan, you get a 10 Gigabits down and 10 Gigabits up connection. We open the highway in both directions. This isn’t just a luxury; it is a necessity for how we live now.

  • Real-Time Syncing: Your phone and computer are constantly trying to upload photos and files to the cloud. On an asymmetrical connection, this clogs your entire network. On symmetrical fiber, it happens instantly in the background.
  • Home Security: Ring doorbells and security cameras need to upload high-definition video 24/7. Strangled upload speeds result in grainy, buffering footage when you need it most.

Get the Speed You Paid For

Think of your expensive gaming PC, your 4K smart TV, and your new smartphone as a Ferrari. You have the hardware to go fast. But if you plug that hardware into an Asymmetrical cable connection, you are driving that Ferrari on a gravel road with a 15 MPH speed limit.

  • For the Creators: If you are a photographer, a videographer, or just someone who works from home in Washington, you are a creator, not just a consumer. You need to push massive files to servers. Asymmetrical cable forces you to wait hours for transfers that should take seconds.
  • For the Gamers: Latency (lag) kills your K/D ratio. When your upload speed is capped, your inputs are delayed. Symmetrical fiber eliminates the bottleneck, giving you a true competitive advantage.

The Zoom Reality Check

The pandemic proved that cable is broken. We all remember the frozen faces and robot voices during important meetings.

That wasn’t a computer problem; it was an upload problem.

Video conferencing requires a steady, fast stream of data leaving your house. Asymmetrical connections—like DSL and cable—simply cannot handle two parents on video calls and a kid gaming in the other room simultaneously. The upload channel gets overwhelmed, and the connection crashes.

Symmetrical fiber doesn’t care how many people are on the network. It handles the traffic without breaking a sweat.

Get the Internet You Deserve

You have a choice. You can keep paying a “Big Tech” monolith for a connection that was designed for the era of dial-up, or you can join the network built for the future.

We don’t cap your data. We don’t throttle your speeds. We don’t strangle your upload. We just give you the raw power of light, moving at the same speed in both directions.

Stop settling for half the internet.

We are building the network Washington deserves. Don’t let the big guys keep you in the dark. Pre-register your address now to get the alert the second 10 Gig Symmetrical Fiber is ready to order.

Published: December 03, 2025