Measurement Lab has been selected by SamKnows for its European Commission project to map the performance of all EU Member States and three other nations, as part of a drive to help ISPs, regulators and consumers improve internet services across the continent.
Sascha Meinrath, New America Foundation's Open Techonology Initiative Director and M-Lab Founding Partner, said, “The information we gather during this study will benefit consumers, decision makers, and ISPs alike. By volunteering to participate, you are taking an active role in improving European broadband.”
SamKnows is a world leader in broadband measurement, and has already conducted similar, successful projects with the United Kingdom’s Ofcom and the United States’ Federal Communications Commission. Measurement Lab has produced the largest, openly available data set on network measurement in the world, including data collected in collaboration with SamKnows. Measurement Lab and SamKnows are now seeking 10,000 volunteers from across Europe to become involved in the largest broadband performance test of its kind.
Volunteers will be sent a small device (the ‘Whitebox’) to plug into their home internet connection. When the broadband line is not in use, the Whitebox will run a series of automated tests to measure the speed and performance of the connection. This will build a pan-European picture of broadband provision to enable planning for the future and offer transparency for consumers paying for broadband connectivity. Organizations wishing to become a supporting partner by donating servers, hosting or bandwidth for further broadband testing can find more information in the M-Lab FAQ.
In addition to helping the European Commission with this major study of Europe-wide broadband provision, individual volunteers will benefit by receiving detailed real-time data about the performance of their own connection, including speed and reliability.
To take part, consumers should visit www.samknows.eu, to apply for a free Whitebox from SamKnows.
About M-Lab
M-Lab is an open, distributed server platform for researchers to deploy Internet measurement tools. The goal of M-Lab is to advance network research and empower the public with useful information about their broadband connections. By enhancing Internet transparency, M-Lab helps sustain a healthy, innovative Internet. Learn more at http://oti.newamerica.net/mlab.
About New America's Open Technology Initiative
The New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative promotes affordable, universal, and ubiquitous communications networks through partnerships with communities, researchers, industry, and public interest groups and is committed to maximizing the potentials of innovative open technologies. Learn more at http://oti.newamerica.net.
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