Dr. Eschweiler: “The test is meeting pleasingly strong demand.”
The Federal Network Agency broadband measurement has been very popular since the launch in September 2015. In total more than 900,000 tests have already been carried out.
“I am very pleased by the very great demand for our test. This shows the broad acceptance which the broadband measurement of the Federal Network Agency enjoys amongst end customers,” emphasises Dr. Wilhelm Eschweiler, Vice President of the Federal Network Agency. “With our test, end customers have the possibility to check the efficiency of their broadband Internet access independently of both provider and technology. Using the measurement, consumers can compare the actual data transmission rate with the rate which was contractually agreed.”
Broadband measurement used intensively
End customers can, with the help of the broadband measurement of the Federal Network Agency, quickly and simply see the speed of their Internet access and thus define the efficiency of their stationary and/or mobile broadband connection. Between 25 September 2015 and 25 September 2016 some 909,000 tests were carried out. In around 520,000 cases the end customers used the app for their measurement, whereby the measurements were mostly carried out using WLAN.
Many end customers also used the broadband measurement more frequently and over a longer period of time, in order to check the quality of their broadband connection.
System improvements
With the start of the second operational year of broadband measurement several improvements have been implemented. Thus for example installation of Java when using the broadband measurement is no longer required. In this way the test supports even more browsers. When measuring mobile broadband connections there is now the option of querying the tariff information of some providers automatically. An automatic query only takes place with the authorisation of the end customer.
In June 2016 the Federal Network Agency also published a map on breitbandmessung.de and thus increased the transparency in the telecommunications market. The map contains the results of the broadband measurements carried out using the test. End customers can inform themselves quickly and easily, using the map to see whether and which measurement results are available for their region. The map shows the data transmission rates of individual providers which have been measured, together with the percentage ratio between the measured and contractually agreed maximum data transmission rate illustrated in aggregate form. The publication of the measurement results is a median value, and complies with the data protection legislation.
Federal Network Agency broadband measurement
A test of the efficiency of the broadband connection can be carried out free of charge for stationary connections at www.breitbandmessung.de . For mobile connections, a measurement with the free broadband measurement app is possible. The app can be downloaded for Android and for iOS from the appropriate app store. The individual measurement results can be stored electronically. End customers thus have the option of carrying out different measurements and then comparing the results with each other.
The broadband measurement was developed by zafaco GmbH for the Federal Network Agency. The measurement is based on the transparency requirements in the German Telecommunications Act (§§ 43a, 45n). End users should be able to compare easily the volume and quality of telecommunications services. The legal requirements thus mean amongst other things that the Federal Network Agency can carry out its own measurements or develop support tools, so that end customers can carry out independent measurements.