Mobile Broadband Performance

Measuring Broadband America

Measuring Broadband America

• Focused on Wireline ISP performance in 2011• Established Measurement Infrastructure

consisting of– Software to administer testing• Scheduling, Software updates, measurement collection

– Test nodes distributed across nation for performance testing

Collaboration

• Measuring Broadband America (Wired) demonstrates advantages of collaboration– Increased expertise– Identification of carrier issues– Balanced perspective– Higher integrity in final product

• FCC would prefer collaborative model for MBA Wireless

SamKnows

• Ofcom funded client software and platform enhancements for mobile testing

• Two Variants for testing– White box capability supporting multiple data dongles

• Stationary or fleet placement• Multiple carriers measured simultaneously

– Android software to support crowd source application• Work has been completed and is available for

application in 2012• Work based on SamKnows platform structure

previously developed for wireline testing

Potential Performance Information

Test Duration

Web browsing Est. 3 seconds

Voice over IP Fixed 10 seconds at 64k

Download speed 3MB fixed size

Upload speed 3MB fixed size

UDP latency Continuous

UDP packet loss Continuous

DNS resolution Est. 1 seconds

Video Streaming Fixed 10 seconds at 2Mbit/s

Potential Infrastructure Data

• Location of test• Active cell tower ID and signal strength• Visible neighboring cell towers (IDs/RSSI)• Active network operator ID• SIM network operator/ID• Bearer Channel (CDMA, GPRS, EDGE, etc)• Roaming state (True/False)• Other usage data of potential interest

Measurement Controls• Volunteers required for test– 90,000 solicitations received for terrestrial trials– Carrier participation provides more efficient means for

solicitation• Platform allows control over– Nature of tests– Scheduling of tests– Measurement points included in testing infrastructure

• We can control impact of tests• Carrier participation could– Lessen impact on consumer (no data billing)– Allow more use of white boxes (data port contribution)

Assessment• Through a combination of work implemented in MBA program and

interest in other regulatory jurisdictions opportunity exists to undertake mobile measurement study– We have opportunity to evaluate this approach against more traditional

metrics• Infrastructure data describing tower/service coverage is available

– Potential benefit to other efforts• This type of data is increasingly collected but eclectically

– E.g. OOKLA, but tests contain consumer bias– By Content providers: e.g. Google, but kept confidential– In short “it’s out there” but we can obtain in a more public and statistically

valid method• Two regulatory jurisdictions pursuing similar paths

– England/Brazil– Others likely to follow

Benefits

• Short Term– First statistically valid study of cellular

performance of major and other service providers– Independent view of cellular coverage

• Long term– Move towards common standard for measuring

performance

Preferred Structure

• Potential exists to go forward without active cooperation of carriers

• Preference to extend MBA model to wireless carriers– Industry input into approach and greater

acceptance of results

Immediate Steps

• Contract issues force quick start– Need to announce start of program July/August

• Need determination on how to proceed– Collaborative/Independent model

• If Collaborative model– Engage service providers on testing of software – Establish planning structure