How to Test Mobile Internet Speeds

Mobile Internet uses cell phone towers to deliver service to customers.

Mobile Internet service (mobile broadband) is increasing in usage because it rivals cable and DSL services. Household or business high-speed broadband has generally been stationary at an address, and even confined to the room where the modem or router is located. On the other hand, mobile broadband subscribers are free to use the service where available, but the speed of the connection might noticeably fluctuate if they are far from a cellular tower. If you need to check your mobile Internet speeds while changing locations, you can use a test developed by the Federal Communications Commission.

Instructions

1. Click the icon to open a second Internet browser window or press the "Ctrl" and "N" keys on the keyboard.

2. Navigate to the Broadband.gov home page (see Resources).

3. Click the "Consumer Broadband Test" link under the "Consumer Resources" section.

4. Click the blue "I Want To Test My Connection Quality" button.

5. Click to fill in the radio button next to "Mobile Connection." Type in the address. Click the orange "Go To Test" button.

6. Click the green "Begin Test" button. Wait for the website to automatically test and show the results for the speed of the mobile Internet connection.

Tips & Warnings

• If the mobile Internet speed is fast enough to share the service with additional computers, consider using "Internet Connection Sharing" (ICS) to network the mobile broadband service (See Resources).

• If a test address is unavailable because the connection is "mobile," look up the address for a local business or landmark using a search engine map, such as "Google Maps."

• The "Java" software application is required to use the speed test on the Web page (See Resources).

References

• Broadband.gov: About the Consumer Broadband Test (Beta)
• Microsoft: What is Mobile Broadband?
• Microsoft: Mobile Broadband, Frequently Asked Questions
• The New York Times: Mobile Data Traffic Expected to Surge

Resources

• Broadband.gov: Home Page
• Microsoft: Set Up a Shared Internet Connection Using ICS (Internet Connection Sharing)
• Broadband.gov: Blogband -- Mobile Broadband Performance and Transparency
• Google: Google Maps
• Java: Download Free Java Software