It has almost become a fad. Google has spent years building apps that test mobile-friendliness and the speed of Web sites, pages and apps. Now Netflix and Ookla have
developed an app that checks Internet connections.
Apparently, troubleshooting tech woes has become big business. The Android and iOS Netflix app called Speed Text measures download speeds in
megabits per second (Mbps). Netflix originally launched the service on Web site fast.com.
It's really all about knowing the customer's speed and preferences. Many marketers have lost sight of
major performance issues. They don't know the ways in which their customers struggle with their products.
Similar to a Web site visitor closing a browser because it takes too long for it to
load on a mobile devices, a bad streaming experience wither uploading, downloading or when watching a movie will discourage a viewer from coming back to rent more. In fact it's likely to stifle
advancements in the entire streaming industry, from videos to live content.
Considering that the future rests on mobile devices, companies like Netflix and Ookla need to help consumers and
companies troubleshoot slow connections.
The report also tells us what speeds are good for what type of media. For example, 0.5 Mbps is good enough for streaming music, 1 Mbps can handle
basic video chatting in an app like Apple's FaceTime, 5 Mbps gets you streaming video on Netflix or Hulu in 1080p HD, and 25 Mbps is the minimum requirement for 4K Ultra HD video.
One thing it
doesn’t do is test upload speed, but the Web site does. Netflix explains that download speed is more relevant to users when it comes to streaming content. Fast.com provides data on pings,
download speeds, upload speeds, and the best and worst Internet service provider speeds in the area.