FCC broadband tools a hit -- what does it mean for ISPs?

[Commentary] A week after releasing online tools that let consumers determine, and report, the real Internet access speeds they are getting, word comes that more than 150,000 have used the service — with the Federal Communications Commission planning to ultimately use all of that data to drive broadband policy.

The new tools are available as Web applications and as mobile apps for iPhone and Android devices. They are essentially front ends to two online test services: Ookla and M-Lab. According to Ookla, the average U.S. download speeds found are 11.5 Mb/s. According to M-Lab, 7.04 Mb/s. The real question is what the FCC plans to do with this data. The National Broadband Plan, released by the FCC this week, makes a point of defining broadband for the purposes of the new Connect America fund as 4 Mb/s "actual" download speeds — so perhaps the commission sees consumer tools such as these as a means of policing telcos' performance. The new tools also seem to dovetail well with the commission's attitude toward competition, which is based largely on the premise that educated consumers will drive a higher level of competition.