FCC App Lets Android Users Measure Mobile Broadband Speed

itwbennett writes "The FCC's new Android app will allow users to measure the speed of their mobile broadband connection, while providing aggregate data to the agency for measuring nationwide mobile broadband network performance. Released as open-source software on Thursday, the free FCC Speed Test App will test network performance for parameters such as upload and download speed, latency and packet loss. An iPhone version of the app is in the works."

Comments

Re:By mobile broadband they mean....

[Shakrai]

Verizon pulls fiber to their base stations wherever possible.

T1s would be a nightmare. The current 2x10mhz LTE network tops out at about 75mbit/s down and 18mbit/s up. Multiply that by three (most base stations have three sectors), then add more bandwidth to account for each of the 3G Ev-DO channels (3mbit/s down and about 1.8mbit/s up) provided, multiply that number by three, then add a non zero amount for voice service (9.6kbit/s per call with current CDMA codecs, 13kbit/s for older codecs), SS7 signaling and other overhead.....

T1s barely scaled to meet demand for the Ev-DO network, where you had to contend with a demand for at least 9mbit/s (3mbit/s times three sectors) of data, in reality more than that since they typically allocate at least two channels for Ev-DO service, and you still need to have bandwidth for voice and signaling service. To meet that sort of demand you're talking about twelve or more bonded T-1s, and at that point you may as well just use a microwave repeater to reach those rural base stations where it's cost prohibitive to pull fiber.