TThe Federal Communications Commission encourages people to use It is internet speed test application, available free nationwide for anyone with an Android or iOS device, so that it can collect more accurate data on the speed of the Internet for its broadband implementation efforts.
“To bridge the gap between digital and non-digital, we are working to build a comprehensive, easy-to-use data set on broadband availability.” FCC President-elect Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement today. “Expanding the consumer base using the FCC Speed Test will allow us to provide the public with improved coverage information and add to the measurement tools we develop to show where broadband is truly available across the United States. ”
The application works just like other internet speed tests from Ookla and Google – sinvolves pressing a button and the application will measure download and upload speed. The FCC application was produced results similar to Ookla’s in my testing. Connected to my 5.0 GHz wifi bandwidth, the FCC application said that my download speed was 282 Mbps and my upload speed was 23.4 Mbps. (I pay for 400 Mbps down.) Ookla gave me a result of 270 Mbps down and 22.0 Mbps up.
However, on a 4G LTE connection, the FCC reported a result of 56.3 Mbps down and 10.8 Mbps up, while Ookla reported 59.6 Mbps down and 2.81 Mbps up .
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One thing Ookla doesn’t have is the ability to track your mobile data usage. The FCC recently added this to its app, so if you plan to test your internet speed on a 4G or 5G connection instead of Wi-Fi, you’ll know how much data you’re using in doing so. You can activate or deactivate this function while it is activated on, you can also set a mobile data limit with the option to choose which day of your month data is reset based on their billing cycle.
But like Ookla, the FCC offers users other measurements, too. such as latency, jitter, and packet loss – information that the average internet user might not need, but someone who plays many online games would probably be helpful, especially if they are playing over the cloud.
The FCC speed test application has been around for several years. It was launched first in 2013 for Android devices and then again in 2014 for iOS devices. The purpose of the application was the same then: to collects internet data and mobile speed to improve broadband deployment efforts.
It is not clear what the FCC has done with all this data since 2014 or even if it has gotten enough, but given that the agency is renewing its pressure for people to use it, it suggests that the app has not worked as the FCC hoped in recent years.
But whyour phone is just a way to connect to the internet. You may see different wifi speed from your laptop or desktop and connecting any of them to your router via Ethernet will always produce the best results. Telephone connectivity is just one piece of the puzzle, so if the FCC really wants a comprehensive picture of Internet connectivity in the United States, it will have to look at other data points.