YouTube Introduces Broadband Speed Tool
Posted in Consumer Kicks, Living With Technology, Living With Telecommunication on February 26th, 2010
YouTube has launched a new tool, known as video speed dashboard, which allows broadband users to test the speed of their connections. The tool helps to check the performance of the broadband connection so that you can determine whether your current connection is able to cope with streaming videos through the website.
The website offers a “my_speed” section where people can discover their average video speed measured over a month, as well as compare it with other people’s broadband speeds globally. The numbers presented in the dashboard will be calculated by measuring the speed at which a YouTube video is received by the browser. The final figures are arrived by averaging the speeds over the period of 30 days. But in order to collect accurate data you must use the same Internet browser during the period of calculation.
Even though a faster broadband connection leads to quick downloads, but it is certainly not the sole factor affecting streaming speed. The speed also depends on the distance to the server the video is being sent from.
The video speed dashboard, however, will not help to improve the speed of the broadband connection, but the service is likely to prove vital to consumers who want evidence that their current speeds are not fulfilling their needs. If you find another ISP providing much better speeds, then go ahead and switch your broadband subscription.
If you need to know more about broadband, or the various ISPs, look at broadbandgenie.co.uk. I found some useful information on, and offers from O2 Broadband; it is worth a look at the website for and their comparative table of broadband

