Amid a raging debate on efficacy and results of speed test apps, TRAI plans to 'study' the methodology and other nuances of such applications used for checking upload and download speeds of data, an official said.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India[1] (TRAI) is calling major speed test apps for a presentation to "understand" their methodology.
The exercise is expected to culminate into a 'paper' that will be placed in the public domain in the coming months.
The sector regulator plans to meet 7-8 mobile Internet speed testing firms, including Ookla[2], over the next one or two months, in this regard.
The move assumes significance as Airtel[3] has used Ookla results in the past to assert itself as fastest network[4], a claim contested[5] by Reliance Jio[6].
On the other hand, Mukesh Ambani owned Jio has been recording highest speed over the past few months on TRAI's own speed test app called 'MySpeed' app[7]. But broadband speed testing firm OpenSignal has raised questions[8] on TRAI's 4G test method.
TRAI hopes that its initiative would not only help raise consumer awareness about the various apps and choices available to users but could also lead to improvements in MySpeed app.
Jio, Vodafone, Idea 4G Download Speeds Decline in July, Airtel’s Rises[9]
"There may also be consumers who have never used these apps to check speeds. The idea is to make the public aware of all the options available, and educate the customer," a TRAI official said on condition of anonymity.
Overall, TRAI aims to understand the working of such apps and not to rank them or set...