The FCC had a speed test app since 2013, but under Interim President Jessica Rosenworcel he asks that more Americans download and use the software (on which you can continue Android and ios). In doing so, the agency says you will help them collect more accurate information on the speed and availability of broadband internet across the United States. In turn, this information will help guide its policies.
If you’ve used Ookla (or any speed test app for that matter), what’s on offer here won’t take you by surprise. Press the “Start Test” button and the software will measure your upload and download speeds, as well as your connection latency. If you want to get really cheesy, you can also configure it to measure jitter and packet loss. Keep in mind that if you want to help the FCC collect better data on broadband availability, you’ll want to test your WiFi connection. It should also be noted that if you decide to share data with it, the FCC claims that it will protect your privacy and confidentiality.
“To bridge the gap between the digital haves and have-nots, we are working to create a comprehensive and user-friendly dataset on broadband availability,” said Rosenworcel. “Expanding the base of consumers who use the FCC Speed Test app will allow us to provide improved coverage information to the public and add to the measurement tools we are developing to show where broadband is really available. in the USA.”
The accuracy of the FCC’s coverage maps has been a well-known issue for years, with a 2019 Microsoft study finding that approximately 163 million people do not access the Internet at broadband speeds or higher. This is compared to the 25 million estimated by the agency at the time. The current cards mostly contain data directly from ISPs such as Comcast and Verizon (the owner of Engadget’s parent company, Verizon Media), which has been the root of the problem.