Measuring Mobile Broadband Performance in the UK

Tender description

ITT 31/2011 - Measuring Mobile Broadband Performance in the UK Please note that the deadline for submitting responses to this Invitation to Tender is 15:00 on Thursday 22nd December 2011. The performance of mobile broadband networks is becoming an increasingly important consumer issue. Usage of cellular networks as a means of internet access through smartphones, tablets, datacards or ‘dongles’ connected to PCs is increasing rapidly. But while there is consumer information on coverage, there is much uncertainty among consumers of the performance they might receive from mobile broadband services. Such uncertainty may be impairing consumers’ ability to select the broadband service (fixed or mobile) that is right for them, and it is for this reason that Ofcom is seeking to better inform consumers on UK mobile broadband performance. Ofcom currently runs a project to collect twice-yearly data on the performance of fixed-line broadband connections. Having completed a one-off assessment of mobile broadband performance, (published in May 2011), Ofcom now wishes to perform similar work on a twice-yearly basis (six cycles) for the period January 2012-December 2014. This research should evaluate mobile broadband performance delivered to both PC users (via a dongle/datacard) and to mobile phone (smartphone) users. The objectives of the project are as follows: • To understand the mobile broadband network performance experienced by users of the UK’s four mobile network operators’ networks (‘MNOs’) and how this varies by MNO, location and time of day. The experience of both smartphone and PC users is paramount. • To enable Ofcom to gather a broadly comparable set of data to the fixed broadband performance research in order to form useful comparisons between fixed and mobile speeds. Note that Ofcom’s definition of consumer encompasses both residential and business consumers of mobile broadband.