"Mon réseau mobile“ (My mobile network) is Arcep’s map-based site that allows users to see which mobile operator provides the best coverage in the location where they live, work or vacation. Today, Arcep is further enhancing this site with an unprecedented set of measurements, obtained from crowdsourcing apps that allow users to conduct their own mobile network performance tests – testing for upstream and downstream speeds, latency, and web page load times.
Arcep completes “Mon réseau mobile” with 200,000 measurements obtained from crowdsourcing applications 5Gmark (Mozark) and SpeedChecker.
Since 2017, “Mon réseau mobile” has given consumers the ability to compare mobile operators: providing access to operators’ theoretical coverage maps, as well as the results of quality of service audits consisting of testing under real world conditions – measuring speeds, streaming capacity and the ability to make and maintain voice calls. Committed to continually improving “Mon réseau mobile” to be able to reflect the user experience as accurately as possible, Arcep wanted to complete the available information with these new crowdsourced data. A “Code of Conduct” was made available to crowdsourcing players to share a set of best practices, after which the dialogue with mobile operators and crowdsourcing app publishers gave Arcep the ability to ensure that the latter were employing robust protocols.
100 times more measurements than what is obtained by Arcep’s annual QoS audit, to complete the information made available to users and local authorities
In total, the crowdsourced data added to “Mon réseau mobile” represent 100 times more measurements than those obtained by Arcep’s annual quality of service audit of living environments (taken at 2,000 test points), and have the advantage of being able to be performed anywhere in the country, at any time of day, including at night.
A few interpretation caveats listed in an explanatory note
One caveat, however: crowdsourced measurements must be interpreted carefully, given the variable, uncontrolled conditions under which measurements are obtained – for instance the inability to know for certain whether a user performed the test indoors or outdoors. Arcep is also publishing an explanatory note that details interpretation caveats.
Arcep is calling on users and crowdsourcing players to continue to fuel the production of measurements, and contribute to its data-driven approach to regulation
This publication is part of Arcep’s data-driven regulation that aims to empower users by providing them with accurate and personalised information, whether it comes from users themselves (crowdsourcing) or is collected from operators by Arcep.
Arcep would like to thank Mozark and SpeedChecker, which agreed to join this process, and welcomes any other players wanting to help continue to enhance the “Mon réseau mobile” site. Users too can contribute by performing tests with these applications, whose findings will then be displayed on “Mon réseau mobile” as regulator information updates are posted.
