The Vietnam Internet Network Information Centre (VNNIC) said on Thursday the latest upgrade of its network speed test app 'i-Speed' turns phones into an automated crowdsourcing tool for telcos to measure and optimise network performance.
VNNIC first released the i-Speed app for Android phones in 2021 as a tool to help users check their connection speeds. The data is posted on the i-Speed website to users assess which telcos are providing the fastest and most consistent speeds, which also in theory makes internet services more competitive.
According to the Vietnam News Agency, i-Speed Version 4.0 – which has been in operation for a week – automates the process, so that the app will automatically check connection speeds at various times, locations, and connection conditions, rather than requiring users to initiate a speed check manually.
According to the VNNIC, all of this will boost the number of measurement samples, which will also provide data at the district, town, and ward levels. That data will help government agencies and telcos analyse network performance and optimise connection quality where it’s needed, the report said.
The VNNIC also said it has also rolled out an upgraded system for statistics, sharing, and providing data on internet speed checks on the i-Speed website.
According to global speed-test firm Ookla, Vietnam ranks 48th (out of 108 countries measured) for mobile broadspeeds as of June 2024, with average downlink speeds of 53.38 Mbps, average upload speeds of 20.41 Mbps and a latency of 23 milliseconds.