FCC to start testing data speed claims of wireless carriers

[B_Crawford]

FCC TO LAUNCH MOBILE BROADBAND SERVICES TESTING AND MEASUREMENT PROGRAM

 

 

On September 21, 2012, the Federal Communications Commission will hold an open meeting to discuss a new program to measure mobile broadband service performance in the United States.

 

The National Broadband Plan (NBP), developed by the FCC, made recommendations to improve the availability of information for consumers about their broadband service. The FCC has undertaken a series of projects as part of its Consumer Empowerment Agenda to realize this charge, including launching a broadband speed test app and, most significantly, undertaking a comprehensive effort-in partnership with industry, the public research community, and other stakeholders-to provide the first detailed and accurate measurements of fixed broadband service performance in the United States. This past July, the FCC released its second Measuring Broadband America report, showing significant improvements in broadband performance and service offerings as compared to the first report roughly one year earlier.

 

The FCC now proposes a program to develop information on mobile broadband service performance in the United States utilizing the collaborative model underlying the success of its fixed broadband program. As the Measuring Broadband America program has proven, the broadband performance data produced by the statistically sound methodology of the program allows comparisons and analyses that are valuable to consumers and spur competition among service providers.

 

In addition, the experience gained within the Measuring Broadband America program has proven the value of working with a broad range of participants including industry and the public research community on the complex technical challenges related to broadband performance measurement and study. The FCC notes that in launching this effort we have already received commitments to cooperate by major wireless carriers and CTIA-The Wireless Association®. With the launch of this open meeting, the FCC looks forward to the participation of other critical stakeholders, including the public research community.

 

At the open meeting, Commission staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology and the Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau will discuss with interested parties the technical methods for performance testing of mobile broadband Internet service, methodological approaches to remotely acquiring and analyzing such data, and other methodological considerations for the testing of mobile broadband performance.

 

 

Source: http://www.bgr.com/2...-tests-planned/

Edited September 6, 2012 by S4GRU
Edited to conform with article quoting guidelines

[jefbal99]

Good on the FCC, they need to ensure that providers are giving the services that they claim to offer.

 

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[Bob Newhart]

They should start to care about wired promises first. I have complained to the FCC numerous times about the poor CenturyLink (and Qwest) DSL service that we receive, the FCC does nothing. I have also complained the WA state attorney generals office, they do nothing about the false advertising.

 

CenturyLink advertise 1.5 Mbps DSL, yet we only receive 0.3 Mbps in the evenings and on the weekend.

Their DSLAM is not fed by fibre, it is fed by 8 x T1s, this feeds several hundred houses, the DSL and the phones.

 

I give money to the FCC every month, and receive little to no service from them. I feel if they just quietly reduce the 'service' they 'provide' and cut the fcc fees, we'd be better off.

[digiblur]

They should start to care about wired promises first. I have complained to the FCC numerous times about the poor CenturyLink (and Qwest) DSL service that we receive, the FCC does nothing. I have also complained the WA state attorney generals office, they do nothing about the false advertising.

 

CenturyLink advertise 1.5 Mbps DSL, yet we only receive 0.3 Mbps in the evenings and on the weekend.

Their DSLAM is not fed by fibre, it is fed by 8 x T1s, this feeds several hundred houses, the DSL and the phones.

 

I give money to the FCC every month, and receive little to no service from them. I feel if they just quietly reduce the 'service' they 'provide' and cut the fcc fees, we'd be better off.

 

Did you ever sign up for the SamKnows project? I did it for a while and it sent the tests up to their DB for my ISP.

[boomerbubba]

There already is an FCC Broadband Test app for Android. It was developed by Ookla, and I thought it was basically a rebranded SpeedTest.

[Bob Newhart]

Did you ever sign up for the SamKnows project? I did it for a while and it sent the tests up to their DB for my ISP.

 

I do have a SamKnows router also on my network. One big problem with this service is that it doesn't take into account when the DSL lines are down 100%, for .... days. CenturyLink DSL lines are down a lot, in my area close to 10% of the time, I think that is a high number, usually on a weekend day too.

 

I have 2 DSL lines bonded using MLPPP, so some nights I get a combined 0.6 Mbps from using two 1.5 Mbps DSL lines. Pretty sad I know.

No other choice for our home.

[irev210]

I do have a SamKnows router also on my network. One big problem with this service is that it doesn't take into account when the DSL lines are down 100%, for .... days. CenturyLink DSL lines are down a lot, in my area close to 10% of the time, I think that is a high number, usually on a weekend day too.

 

I have 2 DSL lines bonded using MLPPP, so some nights I get a combined 0.6 Mbps from using two 1.5 Mbps DSL lines. Pretty sad I know.

No other choice for our home.

 

That's horrible. It seems like people are going to flock to Verizon's rural LTE program.

[Bob Newhart]

That's horrible. It seems like people are going to flock to Verizon's rural LTE program.

 

Yep, the low caps of the VZW LTE home internet are a problem.

 

That and that people who live in rural areas can't receive it, I have no cell coverage.

[kg4icg]

Kind of makes me guilty that Cox has my speeds at 25mb down 10 mb up. Makes playing BF3 online fun.

 

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[Richmc]

Kind of makes me guilty that Cox has my speeds at 25mb down 10 mb up. Makes playing BF3 online fun.

 

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Add porthos1973. We can get a S4GU team going lol

 

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[kg4icg]

No problem, WebsterRC is my tag

 

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[Bob Newhart]

Kind of makes me guilty that Cox has my speeds at 25mb down 10 mb up. Makes playing BF3 online fun.

 

GrRRrrrr

When I see people complaining about only getting 5 or 10 Mbps, I laugh and laugh.

I asked Comcast to run cable to our town and then my home, it would cost close to $250k. I decided against it.

 

At a town near by that has a new Sprint store, I got a good 3G speed though, best I have ever seen.

http://www.speedtest.net/android/241693883.png

[MacinJosh]

 

GrRRrrrr

When I see people complaining about only getting 5 or 10 Mbps' date=' I laugh and laugh.

I asked Comcast to run cable to our town and then my home, it would cost close to 250k. I decided against it.

 

At a town near by that has a new Sprint store, I got a good 3G speed though, best I have ever seen.

http://www.speedtest.net/android/241693883.png

 

250k? That's a whole lot of money! Ridiculous!

 

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