Speedtest.net
Speedtest.net, also known as Speedtest by Ookla, is a web service that provides free analysis of Internet access performance metrics, such as connection data rate and latency. It is the flagship product of Ookla, a web testing and network diagnostics company founded in 2006, and based in Seattle, Washington, United States. The service measures the data throughput ("speed") and latency ("connection delay") of an Internet connection against one of around 11,000 geographically dispersed servers (as of August 2021). Each test measures the data rate for the download direction, i.e. from the server to the user computer, and the upload  data rate, i.e. from the user's computer to the server. The tests are performed within the user's web browser or within apps. , over 21 billion speed tests have been completed. Tests were previously performed using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) at Layer 7 of the OSI model. To further improve accuracy, Speedtest.net now performs tests via direct Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) sockets and uses a custom protocol for communication between servers and clients. The site also offers detailed statistics based on test results. This data has been used by numerous publications in the analysis of Internet access data  rates around the world. History. The owner and operator of Speedtest.net, Ookla, was established in 2006 by partners Mike Apgar and Doug Suttles. Suttles suggested the name Ookla because he already owned the Ookla.com domain name in honor of his pet cat, who was in turn named for a character on the TV series "Thundarr the Barbarian". As of 2011, Ookla claimed 80% market share and was one of the top 1000 most popular websites. At the time, Ookla derived its revenue primarily from fees paid by companies to license custom speed test and proprietary testing software. Clients reportedly included  media companies like CNN and Disney, and telecommunications providers like AT&T, Verizon, and CenturyLink. Ookla was acquired by Ziff Davis in 2014. Technology. The technology of Speedtest.net is similar to that of Ookla NetGauge, which is provided to a wide variety of companies and organizations on a licensed basis. Speedtest.net Mini was a free, stripped-down Flash version of the speed test technology used on Speedtest.net that users could run on their own web servers, however it was replaced in 2016 with Speedtest Custom, an HTML5-based tool. Speedtest.net data. Speedtest market reports. In 2016, Speedtest began releasing market reports  for different countries and cities, providing raw statistics regarding download and upload speeds for the past year for ISPs and mobile carriers. It also includes analysis of the current ISP and mobile markets of the respective country and breakdowns by region and city. ISPs and mobile carriers are ranked by their geographic performance.