FCC: Please Check Your Internet Speed

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has urged the public to use its Internet speed testing app. As with Netflix's tool, it's not just for the benefit of users.

The FCC Speed Test App, which works for both WiFi and mobile data connections, has the usual simple "one-tap" functionality of such tools. By default is measures upload and download speeds plus latency. That's a measure of how quickly data transmission starts, which can be important for services such as online gaming. (Source: theverge.com)

Speed Maps Boosted

Users can also switch on settings to measure jitter and packet loss, which cover the way Internet data is transmitted in tiny batches known as packets. Jitter is the variation in delay between different packets, while loss is where a packet doesn't make it to its destination. Both of these can cause problems with voice and video calls made over the Internet.

As well as being a useful tool for users, the data collected by the app will help power the FCC's coverage maps which show not just where broadband and mobile data is available, but at what speeds. These maps can influence where public funding goes to boost broadband infrastructure. At the moment those maps often rely on figures from service providers which, to put it charitably, do not always enjoy a large degree of trust. (Source: govtech.com)

Netflix Has Own Tool

It's a similar app to fast.com which is operated by Netflix and specifically measures connections to Netflix's own servers. That's designed to offer a couple of benefits. One is that it overcomes suspicions that some carriers deliberate prioritize connections to speed test tools to boost their reported performance. If they do the same for connections to Netflix, it's obviously good news for Netflix.

The fast.com service could also reveal if any carriers are intentionally slowing access to Netflix compared with other sites. That's a controversial topic, both in whether or not carriers actually do so and whether such a policy should be legal.

One problem with all speed test services is that they are much more likely to be used by people with slow or inconsistent services to start with. That means taking even aggregated data from the services isn't necessarily an accurate picture of the overall state of the nation's data connections.

What's Your Opinion?

Do you use speed test tools? Have you noticed a big difference between advertised and delivered connection speeds? Is it a smart idea for a government agency to offer such a tool?