The document discusses the FCC's Measuring Broadband America program which has been extended to measure mobile broadband performance. A new smartphone app will collect anonymous network performance and structure data from volunteer users. Key aspects of the mobile program include a focus on consumer privacy, collaboration with wireless carriers, transparency of data collection methods, and using statistically valid methods to minimize user bias. The long term goals are to continue providing accurate data on broadband evolution and promoting standard metrics.

1. Mobile Broadband
Performance
Measuring Broadband America

2. Measuring Broadband America
• FCC National Broadband Plan
• Released 3/10
• Advocated FCC undertake measurement of Broadband America in
collaboration with industry
• FCC fixed broadband measurement program
• Reports released 8/11, 7/12, 2/13
• Ongoing: yearly reports
• Generally perceived as most accurate measurements of
consumer broadband performance
• Result of transparency of process and collaboration with industry
and other parties

3. mobile Measuring Broadband
America
• On 9/21/13 FCC announced extension of program to mobile
services
• Collaborative effort with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, CTIA
and others
• Data collection effort to start later this year with initial public
results expected early 2014

4. What we are doing
• Smartphone app runs in background on volunteers phone
• Runs automatically at random times performing measurements
• App provides only network related data and results annonymized
• Data uploaded to cloud for presentation in maps and other
analysis

5. What We Are Collecting
• Network Performance Data, e.g.:
• Upload/Download Speed
• Packet Loss
• Latency
• Network Structure Data, e.g.:
• Service Coverage Data
• Tower ID/Signal Strength
• Bearer Channel

6. What is Unique About the
Program
• Core foundation: consumer privacy
• Collaboration with key industry players
• Transparency in process
• Statistically valid data collection
• Open, reproducible and extendable methodologies

7. Consumer Privacy
• Central to FCC’s policies and concerns
• Mobile data raises special issues
• Extensive discussions with representatives from Federal Trade
Commission, FCC, service providers, academics and others to
develop formal privacy policy
• Mechanisms in place to ensure data is anonymized and
processed in manner to ensure anonymity

8. Industry Collaboration
• Key tenant of National Broadband Program to work
collaboratively with major stakeholders
• Increases accuracy and success of program
• Provides potential for industry standardization
• Working with four major wireless carriers, CTIA and others in
open process
• Industry beta testing client software

9. Transparency
• Open meetings to discuss program milestones
• Publication of testing procedures, statistical scripts,
measurement methods, etc.
• Client software provided as open source
• FCC plans to provide GIS database displaying key metrics
• Underlying data freely available (subject to consumer privacy
policies)
• Future goals include making available thru FTP and through API
interfaces on FCC database

10. Statistically Based Data
Collection
• Android client software runs autonomously in background
• Tests performed regularly on randomized basis
• User bias minimized/eliminated
• Avoids user testing to determine ‘what’s broken’
• Collaboration with industry permits more targeted and more
successful volunteer solicitations

11. Long Term Objectives
• Continue to explore further utility of data
• We’ve focused on ‘low hanging fruit’
• Ongoing discussions with parties as to potential uses
• Continue to provide accurate data on evolution of broadband
• Promote standard metrics and cost efficient data collection
mechanisms
• Continue successful collaborative model