The California Public Utilities Commission has been measuring broadband in California since 2012, both to inform consumers of their choices in purchasing broadband and to inform decisions by the California Advanced Technology Fund in investing in underserved broadband.
CalSPEED delivers an open-source broadband measurement tool, independent of carriers. CalSPEED Mobile used this tool to measure and map mobile broadband throughout California from 2012-2017 documenting the growth, strong variability, and persistent rural/urban broadband divide. CalSPEED Home uses this same measurement tool to assess residential broadband and the WiFi service almost universally used by users.
We’ll discuss the program and its findings, first the CalSPEED Mobile broadband measurement program from 2012-2017 and then the CalSPEED Home residential broadband measurement program beginning in 2019.
Novarum’s own research from on-the-ground residential WiFi surveys in three California cities will add importance to the WiFi measurements from CalSPEED Home.
