The European Commission (EC) is planing to launch a major new study of broadband performance across Europe to get a clear picture of broadband service in all member countries as well as in Croatia, Iceland and Norway.
Measurement firm SamKnows will lead the project, said the BBC. After the study is completed, ISPs, regulators and consumers will have access to the results, said the company.
The EC is seeking 10,000 volunteers for the project, whoc will be sent a ‘whitebox’ which will have to be plugged into the volunteer’s home Internet connection and run automated tests to measure the speed and performance of the connection.
SamKnows now needs to recruit 10,000 volunteers to measure their broadband connections and provide data for the study.
"We are working to provide ISPs, regulators and, most importantly, consumers with the information they need to push for improved broadband services," SamKnows chief executive Alex Salter said.
"The people who volunteer to take part will not only get access to our technology for free, but will be champions for better broadband across Europe as they help us to develop a picture of connectivity across Europe," he added.
In July, communications regulator Ofcom published its first interactive fixed line broadband map of the UK. The map shows that nearly 70% of the UK has broadband access, but speeds and uptakes varying greatly in urban and rural areas.
Ofcom used actual data provided by communications providers to build the interactive map which covers 200 administrative authorities.
