On 5 February 2018, the telecom regulator TRAI released a “white paper on wireless data speed measurement”. It said that to maintain accuracy and transparency, data speed testers must share their methodologies. The regulator added that accuracy in measuring broadband experience is crucial for consumers to make informed choices.
It will also help stakeholders as well as the regulator and policymakers.
TRAI said: “Speed of internet connection is the most important and fundamental metric to measure broadband experience, especially since 4G LTE networks’ penetration in India has increased and data consumption pattern has undergone a massive change.”
“Regulators and policymakers will be able to assess the accessibility to services dependent on broadband,” TRAI said.
The paper said: Speed of Internet connection is considered to be most important and fundamental metric to measure broadband experience. While measuring broadband experience is important for consumers to make informed choice on one hand, it also helps regulators, policy makers to assess the accessibility to services dependent upon broadband on the other.
Broadband experience across geographic locations and different networks also provides insight into the extent and level of achievement of goals set by the Government.
With the deployment of LTE networks broadband penetration m the country has increased and data consumption pattern of users has also undergone a massive change. It has brought more dependency of users on services through broadband. Expectation level of users about broadband experience has also risen justifiably. Consequently measurement of broadband speed provided by different Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) has become more critical. Notably, in case of mobile broadband networks, performance is dependent on both time and geography. It requires periodic assessment of mobile broadband networks. Empowerment of user to know typical speed available in her location of choice therefore becomes essential.
Since its launch, stakeholders have sought more details about the working methodology of the TRAI MySpeed app. Some of them have also raised queries relating to the test results of the mobile app and network level values being reported on the analytical portal of TRAI.
This paper provides more information about the test set up and methodologies behind the working of TRAI MySpeed app. It explains the approach used for processing of test logs collected from the app, like filtering and aggregation for reporting performances at network level. The paper elaborates on the methodology used for conducting individual tests and compares it with approaches followed by a few other speed testing app providers. Further, it also compares the approaches of filtering and aggregation followed by different app providers.
There are various ways in which speed test data may be analyzed and reported. To illustrate this, the paper analyzes data of three months (August- October, 2017) in detail and presents spatial and temporal distribution of download throughput. A variety of graphs are also presented for a deeper understanding of the data and interpretation of outcomes of speed measurements. The analysis is done at all India level presenting variations in throughput across the districts. Deeper analysis is done for nine districts of Delhi and presented variations with Box and Whisker plots.
Detailed analysis of the data, comparison with other apps and exploration of possibilities to present data in variety of ways provides leads to few initiatives which can be taken to make the wireless data speed measurement t exercise more useful for mobile users and other stakeholders.
Key points of conclusion are:
• Measuring broadband speed is a complex process and the outcome depends upon both the test methodology and test conditions.
• Inferences and interpretation of results of test results are to be done keeping in mind the purpose for which these test process were designed and developed.
• Wide variations during the individual test of speed measurement may sometimes be observed because of network state and short time window of measurement. Individual user results in conjunction of results of network performance in area of concern with tests conducted at the moment may provide better picture about expected performance of broadband network.
TRAI said: “Speed of internet connection is the most important and fundamental metric to measure broadband experience, especially since 4G LTE networks’ penetration in India has increased and data consumption pattern has undergone a massive change.”
“Regulators and policymakers will be able to assess the accessibility to services dependent on broadband,” TRAI said.
The paper said: Speed of Internet connection is considered to be most important and fundamental metric to measure broadband experience. While measuring broadband experience is important for consumers to make informed choice on one hand, it also helps regulators, policy makers to assess the accessibility to services dependent upon broadband on the other.
Broadband experience across geographic locations and different networks also provides insight into the extent and level of achievement of goals set by the Government.
With the deployment of LTE networks broadband penetration m the country has increased and data consumption pattern of users has also undergone a massive change. It has brought more dependency of users on services through broadband. Expectation level of users about broadband experience has also risen justifiably. Consequently measurement of broadband speed provided by different Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) has become more critical. Notably, in case of mobile broadband networks, performance is dependent on both time and geography. It requires periodic assessment of mobile broadband networks. Empowerment of user to know typical speed available in her location of choice therefore becomes essential.
Since its launch, stakeholders have sought more details about the working methodology of the TRAI MySpeed app. Some of them have also raised queries relating to the test results of the mobile app and network level values being reported on the analytical portal of TRAI.
This paper provides more information about the test set up and methodologies behind the working of TRAI MySpeed app. It explains the approach used for processing of test logs collected from the app, like filtering and aggregation for reporting performances at network level. The paper elaborates on the methodology used for conducting individual tests and compares it with approaches followed by a few other speed testing app providers. Further, it also compares the approaches of filtering and aggregation followed by different app providers.
There are various ways in which speed test data may be analyzed and reported. To illustrate this, the paper analyzes data of three months (August- October, 2017) in detail and presents spatial and temporal distribution of download throughput. A variety of graphs are also presented for a deeper understanding of the data and interpretation of outcomes of speed measurements. The analysis is done at all India level presenting variations in throughput across the districts. Deeper analysis is done for nine districts of Delhi and presented variations with Box and Whisker plots.
Detailed analysis of the data, comparison with other apps and exploration of possibilities to present data in variety of ways provides leads to few initiatives which can be taken to make the wireless data speed measurement t exercise more useful for mobile users and other stakeholders.
Key points of conclusion are:
• Measuring broadband speed is a complex process and the outcome depends upon both the test methodology and test conditions.
• Inferences and interpretation of results of test results are to be done keeping in mind the purpose for which these test process were designed and developed.
• Wide variations during the individual test of speed measurement may sometimes be observed because of network state and short time window of measurement. Individual user results in conjunction of results of network performance in area of concern with tests conducted at the moment may provide better picture about expected performance of broadband network.
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