FCC testing your broadband speed

Boing Boing and others have pointed out that the federal government is testing broadband speeds. I tried it, but the java applet seems to fail before it is complete.

Clicking the test button opens a small window in front of the webpage and first asks for your address, but not e-mail or name. The privacy statement says that it will record the IP address as well.

Then it runs a download, upload, latency and jitter (variation in latency) test. I was never able to gee it to go past the latency test.

It would fail to show the jitter results and then show what looks like the java download page through the window of the test. Since it is only beta, perhaps it will be fixed when the final version is out.

Since Verizon FIOS promises 20 MB/s down and 5 up, it appears I am getting what I paid for.

(The Consumer Broadband Test )

Delaware's #9 ranking in the US for broadband speed is a fair horse in a slow race

Apparently the United States has one of the slowest Internet access rates of the developing nations. The US median is about 2 megabits per second (mbps) compared with 61 mbps for Japan, South Korea at 45 mbps, France 17 mbps and even Canada at 7 mbps.

In the US the median speed ranges from a slow 0.54 mbps in Alaska to a speedy 5 mbps in Rhode Island. A histogram generated from the data shows that most states fall from 1 to 2.5 mbps. Delaware comes in at #9 with around almost 2.7 mbps. But that is still low compared to the rest of the world.

Combining the speed data with population density data (population and area) reveals a weak correlation, but what you would expect, higher population density states states have higher median broadband speeds. This is probably a reflection of higher population density states having cities or better infrastructure, though there are still outliers like Kansas, with a high speed for a low population density state and Rhode Island which is an outlier for speed. I did try to work on finding measurements of state infrastructure such as roads (using median distance to road information from this article), but I failed to find any better correlation.

The data (.pdf report) is from Speed tests results for Sept. 2006 through May 2007; most participants had DSL or cable modem connections Source: CWA Communications. I think that the CWA, Communication Workers of America, is trying to make the point for better higher speed Internet access which gets them more jobs.

(go take the test yourself)

Five Simularities between a Ouija Board and the Internet

Ouija Board

vs.

The Internet
(represented by the clever OuijaNet board)

Ouija Board: A method for receiving messages through the ether from loved ones who have Crossed Over.
Internet: A method for receiving messages through ethernet from spammers who'd love to sell you stuff.

Ouija Board: Ouija planchette glides over the board directed by hands of dead spirits.
Internet: Mouse glides over mouse pad directed by a hand that feels dead due to terminal carpal tunnel syndrome.

Ouija Board: Messages spelled out letter by letter.
Internet: Messages spelled out letter by letter as everything slows to a crawl because of the adware clogging your computer and your crappy broadband connection.

Ouija Board: Sometimes the messages make sense and sometimes they don't.
Internet: Sometimes the messages make sense and sometimes they don't. Perhaps you have your spam filters tuned a little too loosely.

Ouija board: This picture shows untold power released when the Other World strikes back.
Internet: This picture shows ungrounded power source without surge protector striking back because you still had to surf the Internet even during a thunderstorm.

Bonus -

Ouija Board: Unwise use of the board may open a portal to the spirit world and subject the user to demonic possession, a la The Exorcist.
Internet: Unwise use of the Internet may open the ports on your computer to possession by spam bots, worms, viruses, Google cookies, Nigerian Advance Fee Fraud, RIAA shakedowns, FBI subpoenas, or if you are lucky, just demonic possession.

(This topic was inspired by the Rowland OuijaNet.)