Those who use the new Wi-Fi standard will notice the biggest benefit in crowded spaces, where a clean radio signal cuts through interference from other devices, even if their connection to their service provider falls short of 802.11ac's lofty speed limit.

WSJ: Higher-Speed Wi-Fi? Not So Fast

While it's not particularly shocking news given the device's performance issues and befuddling connection to the satellite provider, it does imply that finding an affordable, modern, and subscription-free solution for over-the-air recording will soon go the way of the dodo.

ENGADGET: DISH Network's DTVPal DVR bites the dust after a short, troubled life

However, the loss of provider autonomy is likely to come at a significant cost: in prioritizing adherence to guidelines rather than dedication to patients, we risk losing the vital connection between patient and provider, risk losing the fundamental trust a patient deserves to have (and traditionally has placed) in a provider.

FORBES: Procedures Over Patients: Why The Nurse Who Wouldn't Perform CPR Scares Us About Medicine's Guideline-Driven Future

Earlier this week, though, we began to see discussion regarding traffic passing through a connection to Venezuela, and ETECSA, a government-owned telecom provider, has now confirmed that a 994-mile cable has been operational since August, though in a limited capacity.

ENGADGET: Cuba confirms Alba-1 fiber hook-up to Venezuela, internet remains on lockdown

According to Akamai, a global provider of Internet services, the United States ranked ninth in average connection speeds (7.7 Mbps) in the third quarter of 2012, and seventh in percent of Internet connections with speeds above 10 Mbps (18 percent).

FORBES: Is the U.S. Losing the Broadband Race? As It Turns Out, We Look a Lot Like Danica Patrick

Some embedded video and audio is only available in the UK. However, it may be that your network provider has allocated you an IP address outside the UK. You can check your connection location at www.speedtest.net .

BBC: Your guide to the BBC Embedded Media Player