Solution to poor internet connectivity in the offing
Solution to
poor internet connectivity in the offing :
TRAI launches MySpeed
app to assess service quality of operators across India
Debkumar Bhadra | Musings
of an Islander | South Andaman
A simple google search reveal A&N
Islands are not the only one getting a raw deal from Telecom Service Providers
(TSP’s) and or Internet Service Provider
(ISP’s). Almost the entire subscriber base of internet and
telephonic service in the country is facing one or the other issues such as Call Drop, poor
voice quality, frequent break in data communication and non-responsive customer
care. The telecom regulator with
the view to rein in the erring TSP’s/ISP’s recommended penalty for
call drop, but TRAI’s effort could not pass the judicial
scrutiny launched none other than the service providers themselves.
Consequently we have a situation wherein subscribers
end up being penalized for no fault on its part, whereas the TSP’s/ISP’s who is apparently at fault is getting rewarded for doling out
poor quality service to its subscribers. Therefore it is no surprise that TSP’s/ISP’s did precious little to resolve the issue in the past and
continues to look the other way in the present.
The
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has
been receiving complaints of discrepancy between the speed the operators claim
and charge for, and the actual speed that subscribers get in reality. As per
reports, TRAI found that the minimum internet speed prescribed
under rules is not adhered to. In some of the cases operators provide 2G speeds on 3G connection. Therefore in its renewed attempt to assess
the service quality of an operator, TRAI
has launched its official internet
speed test app namely MySpeed(TRAI), the first under Digital India initiative.
MySpeed(TRAI) app is available
for free download at the National Mobile Governance Initiative AppStore or from google play for android or iOS platforms. MySpeed app automatically detects the type of
connection ie.,Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity and measures the download
as well as upload speed of the internet connection. It also captures network
parameters such as signal strength, device location etc, generates a log in the
form of test result and sends it to TRAI
anonymously. The app does not send any personal information and
neither does it constitute a complaint.
How
to use MySpeed App
Download
the app (23Mb) from the
National Mobile Governance Initiative AppStore or from google play and install it on a smartphone. Unlike other free
applications, MySpeed does not display any ad, therefore the User Interface is
clean, clutter free, simple and self explanatory.
On
opening, the app automatically detects if the device is connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular
network. To get started, user is prompted to press the “Begin Test” button. Thereafter
the app tests both the upload and download speed of the internet connection and
displays the test result. The users are given two options “Test Again” or click
the “SEND to
TRAI”
button to send the test result along with network parameters such as signal
strength, device location etc directly to TRAI
Analytics portal.
The
app is independent of service provider, ie., whether it is BSNL, Airtel, Vodafone or any other network, it works just fine.
Further be it Broadband based Wi-Fi network or cellular based mobile data network (3G/4G) MySpeed automatically
detects the type of connection and measures the internet speed without any
glitch. Further the test result is submitted anonymously to the telecom
regulator’s analytics portal. There is no need to share personal details or write
emails or make phone call. Although some
Android users complain of the app crashing on start-up, but I installed it on
my Redmi
Note
4
and run the test on more than one type of data connection and sent each of
those results to TRAI. It works just fine.
MySpeed Test Result
Testing
the internet speed of my broadband connection using MySpeed app, showed download
speed of 317kbps (=0.31Mbps) which not only is below the prescribed minimum, the speed does
not even match the regulation on “Quality of Service standards for Broadband Services”. What I got is only 62% of the speed prescribed under regulations. Further
if we look at the Packet Loss (percentage
of packets lost to the total packets transmitted between two designated CPE/Router
Ports), the result indicated 10% loss which is 10 times more than the
benchmark prescribed under TRAI regulations. A
clear indication that I have been getting a raw deal in the name of internet
service from my ISP (BSNL).
Remember
till this time TRAI has been taking decisions based on Quality of Service
reports compiled by the telecom operators themselves. Even from the point of
view of a customer, there was no means by which a subscriber could report the
real time speed to the telecom regulator. But with launch of the official MySpeed app,
we now have the opportunity to measure and report the internet speed directly
to TRAI. We need to make good use of this unique
opportunity. The data we share would give TRAI first
hand information on the kind of service we are getting from operators. I therefore
request fellow islanders to download MySpeed(TRAI) app, run the test
and send the result to TRAI.
This
way we will be helping TRAI to collate data necessary to access the service
quality of operator. Let us play our part in the endeavor and ensure we get the
service we are paying for.
This post was carried in
the Port Blair Edition of Echo
of India, dated 13 July, 2016.
This post was also
carried in Andaman
Sheekha, dated 15 July, 2016.
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