Government Helps Measure Broadband ISP Performance

The new online service from the FCC measures download and upload speeds for desktop, laptop and some smartphone connections. The idea: test actual performance against ISP claims.

"The Federal Communications Commission has begun to benchmark Internet service speeds across the United States to allow consumer to compare the real world performance of their ISP with its advertised speeds. I'd like to see some action.

The program is under the aegis of the National Broadband Plan, which was created with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to accelerate broadband deployment in the United States. The FCC is gathering data down to the level of home address."