Why is iCloud Photos download sync so slow???

[AngrofMayfair]

Just got myself a fantabulous refurbished M1 MBA with 16GB/2TB

There's more than enough room to store *all* my files and rubbish on this thing, it should last me for many years, as has my old 8GB/512MB MBP from 2012...

Setup the MBA as a new device with no migration (too much old apps etc) managed to copy all my 600GB of music over via an SSD backup but can't seem to do the same with my Pictures.
So I enabled my Photos in iCloud and set it so that all my 200GB/46000 pics would download from iCloud in full-size format.
24hrs later it's managed to download approx 4000!
So at this rate it will take around 10 days to sync all my iCloud photos to this device
Why can't iCloud do a bit better than a max of 400kb/sec on my ultra fast optical Internet connection???
I guess it wouldn't be *that* noticeable if I was downloading just one full-size pic whilst browsing the Photos app but to do a full sync of 200GB this is ridiculous....

Thanks Apple, I pay for 2TB of iCloud storage and I get dial-up modem speeds in 2021

 

[mystery hill]

Uploading photos is also slow.

 

[AngrofMayfair]

Update - 24hrs later - something has changed at Apple's server end as I am now getting 4MB/s peak download speed and am already half way through my 200GB download - that's better!

 

[BigMcGuire]

It took me a week to upload 180GB to Apple Photos and back down to my devices. It was painful doing it, but once done, I've lived with Apple Photos for years now and wouldn't ever go back.

Apple may not be the fastest, but it works - I love the set it and forget it mentality.