FCC chairman Tom Wheeler Tuesday announced that the FCC's iPhone app for testing mobile broadband speeds is now available on the iTunes App Store.
The FCC has had a fixed broadband speed test for several years via the Measuring Broadband America program, with the cooperation of major ISPs. It began the move to measuring mobile as well with the launch of an Android phone speed test last fall, signaling an iPhone app would be coming soon. The FCC signaled it would have national numbers in first quarter 2014 and would provide more granular results later in the year.
CTIA: The Wireless Association and its members have been cooperating with the creation of the mobile app.
Unlike the Android app, the iPhone app does not run in the background and periodically spot check speeds, but a manual check will generate an "on-demand" accounting of cellular and Wi-Fi network "download speed, latency, and packet loss."
The FCC says no personal or uniquely identifiable info is collected by the apps.
