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from the telcom-didn't-contribute-enough-to-his-reelection dept.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is asking for Internet service provider customers to contribute results of speed tests to aid an investigation:
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has been investigating Verizon Communications Inc., Cablevision Systems Corp and Time Warner Cable Inc. over false advertising for their Internet speeds since October. He's now asking these companies' customers to take an Internet speed test and submit the results to his office. This way he'll get a better idea whether Verizon, Cablevision and TWC are lying to their customers about the speeds they're getting.
Schneiderman's office also sent the three companies requests for more information and copies of any tests they have done on their own Internet speeds, as well as copies of disclosures they have made to their customers. To see whether there's any large discrepancy between what they say they are offering and what they're actually delivering, the AG also asked for feedback from the public.
His office created a new online broadband test at InternetHealthTest.org, which will capture a customer's real bandwidth speeds. After the test is done by the customers of Verizon, Cablevision or TWC, he wants them to submit a screenshot of the results and fill out an online form.
Quick, flip the switch and double everyone's speeds!
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:10PM
Couldn't an ISP simply prioritize packets going to dslspeedtest or whatnot to skew the result? All in the name of responsible traffic shaping, of course.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday December 15 2015, @06:45PM
Couldn't an ISP pay someone building the testing platform to make sure that the numbers returned by the script are twice the actual rate?
ISP gets publicity and a "we got investigated and were better than advertised" precedent, AG gets publicity and campaign contributions. Customers get told to shut the f... up and keep paying.
I fail to see a flaw in my cynical plan.
(Score: 1) by Spamalope on Tuesday December 15 2015, @07:19PM
When I test my home connection, it does appear as though special shaping to the well known test sites is happening.
During peak usage times (say, 6-8pm) I saw reduced speed to our fiber connected servers at work, and when downloading game patches (as expected), but full speed to 'speed test' sites.
Netflix needs to host a speed test site that simulates video viewing for the test. Either the games will netflix will stop, they'll be so contrived it's actionable or everyone will know what they're really getting...