🏷️ About: The FCC Speed Test app is part of both the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC) and its Measuring Broadband America programs. The BDC tests run by users will help to improve the accuracy of the FCC’s broadband maps showing mobile coverage areas.
We Investigate the app owner's website (Fcc.gov), verify their legitimacy, and uncover hidden scams and complaints.
- Transparent about privacy
- Can be constrained to minimize mobile data
- Light weight by modern standards
- Gives somewhat more optimistic performance ratings than Ookla or Dslreports/speetest
- FCC taking a measurable step toward improving connectivity for people in the US
- Test speeds seem accurate
- Privacy policy clear
- Limiting mobile data is useful
- Test definitions appreciated
I ran the FCC Speedtest versus the commercial SpeedTest several times during the same time period. The FCC version reported 1/3 the download speeds, the upload speeds were 10% higher.
If you are troubleshooting your internet, I would consider the commercial Speedtest over the FCC. The FCC version is under reporting the results. I don’t understand why it is so far off.
I just downloaded OriginalFCCSpeedTest and opened it up. The first screen I was shown was a white screen with the message
Welcome to the FCC speed test
We don’t want to be the reason you run out of data this month.
To stop that happening we have added a mobile data limit.
Under that is one option: “Set data use”
There is no other option. Nothing to bypass it or cancel out of it. There’s nothing friendly about OriginalFCCSpeedTest or about the data cap.
Don’t do it...they also haven’t provided details about its privacy practices and handling of our data to Apple.
Don’t do it!
Since upgrade to IOS 12 have been only able to test 4G/LTE service. Will not connect to Wi-Fi service in order to test Wi-Fi. Full functionality with iOS 11.
UPDATE: Downloaded latest update on 25 October and still get can’t connect to our servers message when attempting to test WiFi.
Simple and intuitive interface. Wish it had a line graph of speed data over the period of the test to visually show variability.
However major issue is that speed test with OriginalFCCSpeedTest is much slower than with other tests. With OriginalFCCSpeedTest, I get 50 mbps down, but with Ookla, I get 180 mbps down. I made sure both were using wifi and tested the back to back. Ookla has consistently given me 180 mbps over many months (so I believe the result). Not sure if it is load on the server that is causing issue?? But hard for FCC to get real world testing data if their “test” doesn’t show actual speed ...
When I run speed tests for SIM card network, shows nice speeds. Nice to compare to other apps/tests to learn which apps/services are whitelisted and granted higher priority when a speed test is ran.
When running a test with the network that’s on the eSIM, it shows the physical sim, network name. Even when I turn off the physical sim line, still shows it’s name. So the maps/history shows the wrong network for the speeds.
OriginalFCCSpeedTest isn’t fancy, but it’s outstanding at doing exactly what it needs to do - test your current network speeds, without all the ads, bells and whistles of the other tests. HOWEVER - OriginalFCCSpeedTest is most definitely reporting the speeds tested as Mbit/s when the actual speed it reports is most definitely MB/s.
That fixed, haven’t had any other issues and would absolutely rate 5 stars with that fixed!
Speeds not accurate for it pings a FCC server . Your speeds will always be higher. My connection can time out in a bad area and then I run the test and I’m getting 10 up and down. Run a speed test from google and I’m less than 1 up . So FCC , stop catering to corporate bully’s and run a real speed test from multiple servers
Can we please have dark mode in OriginalFCCSpeedTest? It’s 2021 folks, this should be considered basic requirements at this point. Also to get true speed measurements there really needs to be a PC, MAC and Linux version that can be used with a hardwire. I’m sure we can probably devise physical LAN with a mobile device but this requires adapters and probably won’t be as quick.
I saw an article on The Verge about a new FCC Internet Speed Testing app and I was surprised to see how old it actually is.
It crashed after I ran a mobile data test but seems to give the same results as ookla and the like.
As with any speed test they can be rigged but why would the fcc do it? I run a network shop and it seems to have the most explainable results.
One thing fcc if your listening. Please flip the month and day in the charts. They are backwards.
I do wish this wasn't quite so data heavy for capped cellular data plans. Maybe get in the traffic uses exempted in the name if public policy?
This refers to the version of OriginalFCCSpeedTest released January 2021. OriginalFCCSpeedTest seems to be transparent about privacy and can be constrained to not use to minimize mobile data. OriginalFCCSpeedTest is light weight by modern standards, “only,” 35 megabytes.
OriginalFCCSpeedTest seems to give somewhat more optimistic performance ratings than Ookla or Dslreports/speetest. Hmm, maybe ISPs are cooking the books a little to make sure that when Uncle Sam is watching, performance looks better than it would otherwise. OriginalFCCSpeedTest can’t be faulted for any cooking of the books ISPs might do.
It is worthwhile to run OriginalFCCSpeedTest so Uncle Sam can build an ISP performance database.
OriginalFCCSpeedTest does its job fine, but where does the data go? There hasn't been any data released about results from OriginalFCCSpeedTest since 2013!
Help us achieve faster speeds with this data! America needs it... Sweden already is leaps and bounds ahead of the US in network capacity and Speeds.
I like this speed test cause it gives you the average of the test results. I really don't care that I got a burst speed of up to such and such for a fraction of a second like the other tests do if it's not going to be representative of actual data usage.
No ads! Accurate and quick results. You can set data limits for cellular data tests. It doesn’t do anything fancy but does everything you’d want in an app of this category. Surprising that the FCC would create something this good.
Then this APPEARS to be the best speed test app. Due to the nature of it being an iOS app, I understand we're not gonna get to see a lot under the hood to begin with. While the results and tests SEEM the most realistic and genuine in their reporting, I don't know how any of us could know if it's truly legit.
Nice to see a straightforward speed test. If it helps compare non-biased performance across the country and different areas, and provides good data to target bandwidth improvements in under-resourced areas.
Might be good to add a section in OriginalFCCSpeedTest to show what data is/isn’t collected by using OriginalFCCSpeedTest ? Especially vs commercial speed test apps.
I am excited to see the FCC taking a measurable step toward improving connectivity for people in the US.
The test speeds seem accurate, the privacy policy clear, limiting mobile data is useful, and the test definitions appreciated. As an IT professional, I am aware of a lot of misinformation surrounding latency, packet loss (thank you me the hacker!) and hope OriginalFCCSpeedTest improves connections for everyone!
Tried this after reading an article in Review Geek that stated that the FCC will use the data provided to check on providers reported speeds. Sounds good to me and I hope it helps to keep the internet providers honest. Best part for me is it is free with NO ads.
Original-FCC Speed Test is very safe to use.
JustUseApp Safety Score for Original FCC Speed Test is 66.7/100.
This assessment is based on our NLP analysis of 156 user reviews.
Combined with the app store average rating of 3.4/5.
Original-FCC Speed Test looks authentic and legitimate.
Our NLP models processed user feedback to estimate legitimacy. JustUseApp Legitimacy Score for Original FCC Speed Test is 66.7/100 .
This conclusion is based on analysis of 156 user reviews.
The FCC Speed Test app is part of both the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC) and its Measuring Broadband America programs.
● Run tests in Speed Test mode to check your connection or in Challenge mode to challenge wireless coverage and improve the FCC’s Broadband Map.
The data from these tests contribute to the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection and the Measuring Broadband America programs.
The app may share contact information with your provider to help the FCC build more accurate mobile broadband coverage maps, along with information on the conditions in which the test was run.
The Measuring Broadband America program assists with improving the transparency, accuracy, and availability of data on the performance of broadband services in the United States.
