Download Mobile Broadband Performance

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
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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