Google is build their own speedtest with M-Labs’s help
If you’ve ever tested your internet speeds, you’ve probably used Ookla’s SpeedTest or maybe even Netflix’s new Fast.com. There’s also a good chance that you’ve simply Google searched “speedtest” to get you to one of those websites. In hopes to court users away from Ookla and Netflix, it looks like Google is building its own internet speed test tool right into search results.
First uncovered by Dr. Pete Meyers on Twitter, the speed test function can simply be activated by searching “check internet speed.” As you can see in the screenshot below, the test takes less than 30 seconds and is powered by Measurement Lab (M-Lab).
Thanks to this tweet, a Google Support page has also been uncovered, detailing Google’s partnership with M-Lab and how exactly the test works.
As of this moment we’re still not sure what the test looks like or how accurate it is. You can try the query for yourself, but it doesn’t appear to be live for most users. In the mean time, you can, however, try out M-Lab’s NDT test for yourself if you’re interested. M-Lab’s testing tool hasn’t been very accurate for me, though, at least not as accurate as Ookla or Netflix’s offerings.
We’re not sure when – or if – Google actually plans to roll this tool out for everyone, so stay tuned for the details as we learn more.
Source: Android Authority