Re: FCC releases Internet speed test tool

[Sean Donelan <sean () donelan com>]

On Fri, 12 Mar 2010, Steven Bellovin wrote:
> What they really need is something more or less like an accurate zip 
> code, I suspect.  They want to find out what real "broadband" speeds are 
> in different parts of the country.  Putting in a fake address renders 
> your data useless.

The FCC used to collect the data by zip code; but a few years ago Congress 
told the FCC that measuring broadband availability by zip code wasn't good 
enough. ZIP code boundaries tend to vary in size, and cross political 
jurisdictions.  Cable system and Central Office wire areas also tend to
vary in size and cross political jurisdictions, so things won't match up
exactly.

Now I believe FCC tries to collect broadband data by census tract.  The 
problem is most people don't know what census tract they are in. So they 
are probably trying to figure out the census tract based on the postal 
address entered.

The Federal Register notice was published at
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-31009.htm