[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 112 (Friday, June 11, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33303-33305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14102]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[CG Docket No. 09-158; CG Docket No. 98-170; WC Docket No. 04-36; DA
10-988]
Comment Sought on Measurement of Mobile Broadband Network
Performance and Coverage
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
(Bureau) seeks to gather additional information on the performance of
mobile broadband services. The Bureau seeks comment on whether and how
to pursue a measurement program for mobile broadband services given the
growing significance of mobile internet access. Additionally, the
Bureau seeks comment on how providers can improve voluntary self-
reporting of network performance and coverage.
DATES: Comments are due on or before July 1, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit comments and reply comments
identified by [CG Docket No. 09-158], by any of the following methods:
Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically
using the Internet by accessing the Commission's Electronic comment
Filing System (ECFS), through the Commission's Web site: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/, or the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Filers should follow the instructions provided on
the Web site for submitting comments.
For ECFS filers, in completing the transmittal screen,
filers should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing
address, and the applicable docket number, which in this instance is
[CG Docket No. 09-158, CC Docket No. 98-170, WC Docket No. 04-36].
Parties may also submit an electronic comment by Internet e-mail. To
get filing instructions, filers should send an e-mail to [email protected],
and include the following words in the body of the message, ``get form
.'' A sample form and directions will be sent in
response.
Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must
file an original and four copies of each filing. Filings can be sent by
hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by
first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail (although the
Commission continues to experience delays in receiving U.S. Postal
Service mail). All filings must be addressed to the Commission's
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings
for the Commission's Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at
445 12th St., SW., Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours
are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with
rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before
entering the building.
Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton
Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.
U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority
mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jordan Usdan, Spectrum & Competition
Policy Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, at (202) 418-2035
(Voice) or e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau) Public Notice CG Docket No. 09-
158, CC Docket No. 98-170, WC Docket No.
[[Page 33304]]
04-36 and DA 10-988, released June 1, 2010. In the 2009 Consumer
Information and Disclosure Notice of Inquiry (NOI), 24 FCC Rcd 14120
(2009); the Commission sought comment on ways to protect and empower
American consumers by ensuring sufficient access to relevant
information about communications services. Subsequent to release of the
2009 Consumer Information and Disclosure NOI, the Commission released
the National Broadband Plan, which recommends that the Commission
develop broadband performance standards for mobile services, maintain
and expand on current initiatives to capture user-generated data on
network performance and coverage, and continue to work with measurement
companies, application designers, device manufacturers, and service
providers to create an online database to help consumers make better
choices for mobile broadband. Further, the Plan suggests that the
Commission encourage industry to create more transparent and standard
disclosure of network performance and coverage for mobile broadband.
As part of the National Broadband Plan proceeding, the Commission
issued Public Notice 24 to gather additional information on
fixed residential and small business Internet broadband services. With
that public notice, the Commission began its effort to measure and
publish data on actual performance of fixed broadband services, as
ultimately recommended in the National Broadband Plan. The Commission
recently contracted with a third-party, SamKnows Limited, to embark on
this initiative, and has released a public notice seeking comment on
the proposed methodology.
As detailed below, the Bureau now seeks comment on whether and how
to pursue a similar measurement program for mobile broadband services
given the growing significance of mobile internet access. Additionally,
the Bureau seeks comment on how providers can improve voluntary self-
reporting of network performance and coverage.
Because some of the questions below may be related to issues raised
in the 2009 Consumer Information and Disclosure NOI, the Bureau
encourages parties who have provided responses on related issues in
other proceedings to respond to this Public Notice by citing previous
filings and expanding on previous comments as appropriate, to ensure
that all relevant information is included within the record we are
developing.
Measurement metrics for mobile broadband services: The Bureau seeks
to understand the best metrics to measure the performance of mobile
broadband services. Performance of mobile broadband networks is
becoming more important as mobile broadband plays an increasingly
important role in our lives and in our economy.
1. What are the best measurement metrics for mobile broadband
services?
a. What performance characteristics should be tracked for mobile
broadband networks (e.g., typical data throughput, signal strength,
accessibility, retainability, latency, other quality of service
parameters)? At what level of temporal and geographic granularity?
b. What parts of the network should be measured? What starting and
ending points (e.g., radio access network, middle mile) are most useful
and actionable for consumers, regulators and providers?
c. Should measurement processes and standards for mobile broadband
services be different than those for fixed broadband connections?
User-generated and other data gathering methods: The Bureau seeks
comment on methods to gather better data for mobile broadband network
performance and coverage.
2. What are the best methods for collecting data on mobile
broadband performance and coverage for end-users?
a. What are the best available tools in the market today for
measuring mobile broadband performance and service coverage?
b. Are there current data sets already available that could be
useful for facilitating better consumer disclosures on mobile broadband
performance and coverage?
c. Are there existing technologies that can measure actual end-user
experience on mobile broadband networks? If so where could the
measurements take place (e.g., on the device, inside the network)?
3. How can user generated data (i.e., `crowdsourcing') on mobile
broadband network performance and coverage be utilized to assist in
collecting data and improving transparency?
a. What efforts and technologies currently exist that can enable
device level data collection on performance and coverage of mobile
broadband networks? What metrics could a device level software
application collect that could measure mobile broadband performance and
coverage (e.g., signal strength, data throughput rate)? What other data
points would be valuable to collect in association with that data
(e.g., location, tower ID, handset type)?
b. For collecting device level data, what impact does the type of
device (e.g., smartphone, feature phones, laptop, wireless modem)
itself have on end-user experienced network performance? How, if at
all, could a measurement methodology take variations resulting from
device type into consideration?
c. How could measurement methodology account for variations in
performance due to the location (e.g., basement of house vs. above
ground) or movement (e.g., user on a train) of the end-user? How can we
account for differences in location determination methods (e.g., GPS)
across handsets and providers, if any? How should buildings,
topography, weather, continued network build-outs, and other service
availability variables be accounted for in the methodology?
d. Can a statistically robust sampling method correct for the
variables described above, such as the impact on performance and
coverage measurements of movement, device and location variability?
e. How can the Commission measure performance with minimal impact
on the network itself? For example, how can active measurement
techniques that generate additional network traffic mitigate potential
increases in congestion?
4. What are the benefits and costs of measurement for providers,
regulators, customers and others?
a. What are the benefits (e.g., transparency, better data, network
and international comparability, benefits for researchers, verification
of National Broadband Map grantee data)?
b. What are the costs (e.g., hardware costs, usage of the network,
consumer hassle, accurate information already exists)?
c. Are there any legal, security, privacy or data sensitivity
issues with collecting device level data? If so, how can these issues
be addressed?
Publication and communication: The Bureau seeks comment on the best
methods for publishing and communicating mobile broadband network
performance metrics to consumers to help them make informed choices
about mobile broadband services.
5. How could information on mobile broadband performance and
coverage be better communicated to consumers?
a. What are the current best practices for displaying or
communicating mobile broadband performance and coverage to consumers
today?
b. Are consumers currently being provided with enough accurate and
detailed information about performance and service coverage to make
informed
[[Page 33305]]
choices between different mobile broadband network providers?
Current mobile broadband network performance and coverage
disclosures: Existing voluntary disclosures related to mobile broadband
performance and coverage have proven valuable for consumers. Providers
of mobile broadband services usually provide coverage maps and `up-to'
or `typical' data throughput rates. Third-parties also provide and
compile coverage maps for providers (American Roamer) and consumers
(Root Wireless). While existing data on mobile broadband services are
helpful, gaps remain. For example, the currently provided `up-to' or
`typical' data throughput rates are rough estimations of actual
performance and some coverage maps provide a binary `yes' or `no'
reading without accounting for signal strength at particular locations,
whereas other maps provide more layered readings (such as indoor/
outdoor or `good'/`better'/`best'). Additional voluntary performance
measurements and standards could provide better information enabling
consumers to make informed choices about mobile broadband services.
6. What measurements are typically performed by service providers
today to track mobile broadband network performance and service
availability?
a. What tools are currently available for consumers to check
coverage and performance at a specific geographic location by mobile
broadband network (e.g., coverage maps), and how accurate are the data
for typical outdoor and indoor consumer use?
b. How are data for coverage and service area maps collected,
verified and displayed (how compiled, how accurate, how granular)? How
are data on mobile broadband performance (i.e., data throughput rates)
measured and displayed?
c. What technologies are used to collect such data (e.g., RF
modeled coverage, drive tests, network reporting, handset data
collections)?
d. Are there any voluntary industry standards that are being used
in disclosing mobile broadband network performance and coverage to
consumers? How could these be improved (e.g., signal strength or
throughput bands to map different levels of service quality)?
In addition to written responses, the Bureau encourages submission
of any data, charts or proposed plans that can be entered into the
public record for purposes of building a record on this subject. All
parties with knowledge and interest are encouraged to file.
Federal Communications Commission.
Mark Stone,
Deputy Bureau Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2010-14102 Filed 6-10-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P