Market regulator Ofcom has signed Epitiro to help it test the speeds delivered by Mobile Broadband network operators in the UK, including O2 , Three (3) , T-Mobile , Orange and Vodafone . Back in June 2009 Epitiro used data from 1.4 million tests conducted around the country (here) to reveal that the average download speed was just 0.9Mb (uploads came in at 0.27Mbps).

Epitiro will deploy its ipQ Consumer Experience measurement technology to capture a range of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) including accessibility, reliability and throughput speeds. The data collected will be analysed to determine how broadband speeds vary between operators by a number of factors, including geography and time of day.


The reason for all this is because Ofcom has recorded a growing amount of dissatisfaction with Mobile Broadband speed, not least between what operators advertise and what they actually deliver.

This is a well known issue, although in fairness most mobile operators now only mention the dongle speed specification in their small print and no longer promote a top "advertised" service speed.

Epitiro's 2009 study (available here as a .PDF) also found that average ping times (lag / latency) for Mobile Broadband stood at 187ms (milliseconds), making the service poor for fast paced multiplayer gaming. However we have seen 90-120ms on our own Vodafone USB Modem (dongle), so experiences do vary.

The testing itself will take place between September 2010 and January 2011, with Ofcom expecting to publish a final report in early 2011. It's likely that the regulator will also make some recommendations alongside their report. The erratic nature of such platforms would make this problem somewhat more difficult to tackle than with fixed line ISP counterparts.