The Federal Communications Commission is now collecting network usage information via a new Android app, hoping to build a map of data coverage across all the major US networks.
The FCC hopes that impartial data collecting will have a two-fold effect. Potential customers will have access to clearer information about network performance in their area, and the telco will have a new incentive to improve important parts of the networks.
The app is free to download to Android phones and tablets, and like similar speed test apps from Ookla, it measures uplink and downlink speeds, packet loss and signal attenuation and, most importantly, the location that the test was conducted. It also keeps a record of which device is used to perform the test.
Unlike other speed tests, the FCC app is designed to run automatically in the background, and while some people may worry about privacy and battery life, this is a smart idea and should help to collect the best information possible. It can use up to 100MB of data in a month however, but includes a setting to disable automatic tests if necessary.
The app can be downloaded now from the Google Play Store.
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