Internet Speed Measurement: Current Challenges and Future Recommendations

TL;DR

This paper reviews current Internet speed measurement methods, discusses their limitations amid increasing access speeds, and proposes future recommendations to improve accuracy and relevance for evolving network conditions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of existing speed testing approaches and offers new recommendations for next-generation measurement techniques.

Findings

Current methods are outdated for gigabit speeds

Limitations in existing measurement accuracy

Recommendations for improved future testing

Abstract

Government organizations, regulators, consumers, Internet service providers, and application providers alike all have an interest in measuring user Internet "speed". Access speeds have increased by an order of magnitude in past years, with gigabit speeds available to tens of millions of homes. Approaches must evolve to accurately reflect the changing user experience and network speeds. This paper offers historical and technical background on current speed testing methods, highlights their limitations as access network speeds continue to increase, and offers recommendations for the next generation of Internet "speed" measurement.