Has this been a problem for a long time or did it recently get bad? I ask, because of all the telecommunications disruptions in recent weeks due to the extremely bad weather have left many ISP's in bad shape. Having to route around all the downed telecommunications equipment has placed an added burden to a system which was already stressed.
Of course, the problem will appear worst during U.S. prime time, from 6:00pm to 10:00pm CST, during the work week.