

Ask HN: Could a distributed solution keep ISPs honest? - pkfrank

I'm a relative technical layman, so forgive me if this is a stupid question.  Maybe something like this exists, maybe it can't for obvious reasons, but I can't find anything through moderate Google-Fu so I figured I'd ask you fine folks.<p>Hypothesis: ISPs get away with over-promising and under-delivering on their suite of offerings.  I know for instance that my TWC internet speed in NYC is far below the advertised rate.<p>Hypothesis 2: The average-joe consumer is ill-equipped to effectively monitor their poor service and call major ISPs on their poor service and terrible customer support.<p>Hypothesis 3: There exists a broad, distributed, solution that could be rolled-out via a plugin or something similar that would allow independent and passive checks of actual internet speed.  This solution would obviously need to be validated against WiFi settings, firewalls, other network traffic, etc., but hopefully those technical challenges could be addressed.  Ideally it would replicate authentic "human traffic" to keep the ISPs guessing, while not adding to any material degradation of normal internet service.<p>This would allow for a huge number of independent basis-points to audit the actual service being offered by major ISPs.  The project could be open-sourced and vetted by industry experts (CS professors at research institutions, say), to give it some validity.<p>Telecom industries operate as an oligopoly, and until Google Fiber or someone else comes to disrupt them, the populace at large is going to continue being treated like crap.  Maybe a solution like this could be a small weapon against the powers that be.<p>Possible for-profit implementations:<p>- Leverage resource in class-action suits as "expert testimony"<p>- Rating the top ISPs as a trusted and unbiased source, a la Consumer Reports<p>- Sell services that "boost" internet speed (do these exist or is that just Spyware-esque claims?)<p>- Etc.<p>Anyway, food for thought.  Anyone out there have insight?
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wmf
That was developed by SamKnows and is used by the FCC to rate ISPs in the US.
<http://www.samknows.com/broadband/index.php> <http://www.fcc.gov/measuring-
broadband-america>

