With the transition of broadband Internet from a helpful convenience to a prescient need for modern life and business, it is staggering to consider that access to this resource is not equally distributed. While the U.S. Federal Communications Commission intends to change this, they need data to help them gauge the true scope of the problem. To do so, the FCC is pulling out an application that they first released years ago: FCC Speed Test.

How Important is Broadband Accessibility?

To answer this question, all that is needed is a little reflection. Take a few moments to look at your own online activities—how much of your life is now primarily handled online, through the Internet? Shopping online, keeping in touch with friends and relatives, or (most pertinently to our considerations) working remotely?

The lack of consistent broadband access makes these activities considerably more difficult for many people and businesses, if not eliminating them as options altogether. Therefore, the FCC is rallying behind the FCC Speed Test app they launched in 2013 and pushing for people to install it on their mobile devices.

FCC Speed Test

With enough people downloading and enabling the application, the FCC will be able to better keep track of the areas where Internet service quality is lacking. This will in turn enable funds to be most effectively allocated to where they are most needed.

FCC Speed Test evaluates the upload and download speeds, along with the latency, of your mobile device via a Wi-Fi network or cellular connection. Kicking in once every 24 hours, these tests can be scheduled to meet your itinerary and how much data these evaluations will use.

In addition, the app helps to test connectivity speeds, plotting them out by time and geographic location. In exchange, the app collects some data (like location, IP address, device type, operating system, and ISP) but refrains from collecting any personally identifiable data.

You can also report any lacking speeds to the FCC through the app, adding to the data they collect.

Available for either iOS or Android, this application can be downloaded now. Check out the FCC’s official FAQ page to find out more about it.

With any luck, these kinds of actions will help bring more equitable Internet access to more people, businesses, and organizations. While we wait, we will continue to deliver whatever IT services we can to California companies. Give us a call at (760) 466-1200 to find out what we could do for you.