NetMesh speeds its way to the regions

23 Oct 2022 6:10 PM

The NetMesh Project team kickstarted its series of training and field-testing last October 18, starting with Region 8. The training was held at Rosvenil Hotel in Tacloban, Leyte.

Participants to the NetMesh Training in NTC Regional Office 8

Personnel of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Regional Office 8 underwent a half-day training on using the fixed and mobile broadband measurement tool and applications developed by the project team.

These are the NetMesh RFC 6349 Software for fixed devices, the web-based speed test app, and the android speed test app. The training was followed by the actual testing of the tools in the field to check their performance.

The NetMesh team and NTC conducting the RFC 6349 test in some households

The RFC 6349 tool is intended to be used by NTC personnel in households, where a laptop device with the installed software will be connected to the household’s Internet cable to verify if the customer is getting the bandwidth that they are subscribed to. A visualization tool is integrated to conveniently map out all data gathered from the tests conducted.

The mobile measurement applications measure the speed between a customer’s device and a test server, using the device’s Internet connection. The initial results were promising and will be used to further refine the functionalities of the tools.

Results of the NetMesh RFC 6349 tool and mobile app showing comparable results with another speed test app

On why the development of NetMesh is significant, DOST-ASTI Director Franz De Leon said, “Unlike readily downloadable speed test applications, a locally developed software like NetMesh would integrate functionalities targeted to get internet performance and quality data at a specific time and place, down to the barangay level.” He added, “The data on Internet performance and quality that will be generated from these tools will be significant for NTC not just in coming up with relevant policies, but in encouraging our telcos and ISPs to reach areas where Internet connectivity is slow or lacking.”

The speed test tools for fixed and mobile devices developed under NetMesh are intended to be used by NTC and all its Regional Offices to perform audit and assessment on the Quality of Service (QoS) of Internet Service Providers. It will also be used as the same platform to test consumers' quality of experience (QoE).

The tools and applications were designed in such a way that provisions can be made for further enhancement and has the flexibility for modifications. This project builds upon the outputs of the pilot phase of the NetMesh initiative, with NTC ROs 1, 4 and 12 as the initial sites. This second phase of NetMesh has NTC ROs 3, 8,11 and CARAGA as the proponents.

The training and field testing for the other three (3) regions are set for November.

 


ABOUT THE NETMESH PROJECT

Pursuant to NTC Memorandum Circular 07-08-2015 which addresses the Rules on the Measurement of Fixed Broadband/Internet Access Service, the Commission initiated efforts to draft the guidelines to monitor and measure the quality of service provided by Internet Service Providers to its subscribers. In 2018, the National Telecommunications Commission, or NTC, approached the DOST-ASTI to help them develop their own tool and system for measuring internet speeds nationwide. NTC and ASTI embarked on the Fixed and Mobile Benchmarking System Project, which came to be known as NetMesh.