Speedtest.net will soon allow users to test app speeds

Speedtest.net, a popular platform for monitoring internet performance, will soon allow users to test app speeds.

Similar to online performance testing platforms such as downdetector, the new feature will be quite useful when a particular application suffers an outage or is slow on their end.

"We're very much working on this (feature). It's a different thing to measure. The right way to do this is to monitor applications themselves. We've seen such services from our competitors pretending to measure those applications, when they don't really," Doug Suttles, Co-Founder and General Manager of Ookla, the company behind Speedtest.net, told Hindustan Times.

Speedtest.net is also addressing a key problem that a lot of consumers face while testing internet speeds - not having enough data to actually pin point the key reason for slow network. Contrary to general perception, internet speeds also depend on users' device capabilities and modems, other than the network provided by their telecom operators.

Next year, Speedtest.net will deliver more insights to consumers on its platform. For instance, it will deliver information on whether other users in the nearby areas are facing similar issues with internet or a particular application.

"This is the most important thing we're going to release in 2018. Hopefully, very early in the year. We will introduce new tools to help users understand what the problem is. Some really neat things that have been developed and we're finishing it, so we can make it public," he added.

The platform is also working on using high-end technologies to separately measure and analyse cellular and home networks. It will also users to measure internet speeds SIM-wise as well. In simpler terms, users can tell speedtest.net that which one of the two SIMs is their active SIM and then take the speed test.

India's burgeoning data growth

Doug also touched upon India's ever-evolving telecom market and internet adoption in the country. He pointed out that Reliance Jio's arrival shook up the Indian market.

"We follow many countries and trends. It (Jio's impact) has been different and unique from what have we seen in a very long, long time," Doug said.

"Internet speeds in India have certainly increased in last couple of years. The number of people testing internet speeds both on home broadband and mobile broadband has increased. India has always been among top five nations in terms of usage," he added.

While the US attributes to 15% of total test volume on Speedtest.net, India also ranks high in the list about 8%, he disclosed.

Google at its recent event had revealed that India had more than 400 million internet users in the country. Out of that 300 million users accessed internet via smartphones. According to the company, average consumption of an Indian user stood around 4GB per month, predicted to reach 11GB in the next four years.