FCC Comments on Mobile Broadband Measurement
Information Technology & Innovation Foundation
Richard Bennett
July, 2010

Bennett comments to the FCC on disclosure of network performance for wireless networks.  He believes that customers should receive clear information about wireless network performance when signing a contract with a provider.  He recommends a,

“…system of operator-supplied coverage maps, primarily verified by consumers through extensive refund rights when user experience does not conform to the claims implicit in the coverage map.”

Bennett covers 6 areas of interest in his comments:

1. The Internet is Intrinsically Unpredicatable
2. Mobile Networks are Intrinsically Unpredictable
3. There is a Risk in Over-Generalizing Survey Data
4. Applications, Users, and Handsets Strongly Influence Performance
5. Taking Meaningful Measurements
6. Advanced Measurements

In conclusion, Bennett believes that the current drive for data can often lead to a collection of data that only supports a specific policy goal and ultimately becomes “data driven by policy”.  He feels that the bottom line is customer satisfaction, but urges restraint on the FCC with its efforts in data-gathering, believing that in the interest of privacy, a reliance on operator-supplied coverage maps is the best option in the near future.  He states that these maps should be updated frequently giving consumers the most current information so that they can make the best purchase decisions for their situation.

You can find the comments in full here.