FCC to track mobile speeds

The FCC has launched a program to measure mobile broadband speeds. It begins with an open meeting on September 21 in Washington to discuss the agenda and schedule.

Under the FCC's National Broadband Plan (NBP), the commission released its second Measuring Broadband America report this past July, which showed the improvements and shortcomings of our broadband infrastructure.

Now the FCC is planning to use the same methodology to test specifically mobile broadband. According to the commission, "we have already received commitments to cooperate by major wireless carriers and CTIA-The Wireless Association."

At the upcoming meeting:

"... 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."

With an increasing amount of broadband traffic, mobile broadband requires independent testing for consumers to make accurate decisions. This program could be critical to our use of the future Internet.

Mobile Broadband Measurement (FCC news release, Sep. 4, 2012)