The National Broadband Map shows the 3G, 4G, and 5G coverage areas reported by each mobile wireless service provider. These maps reflect where subscribers should be able to receive mobile connectivity when outdoors or in a moving vehicle; the maps do not display indoor coverage.
If the information on mobile coverage submitted by your provider doesn’t match your experience, you can dispute that information by taking outdoor or in-vehicle speed tests on your mobile device using the FCC Speed Test App. Challenge Speed tests must be taken between the hours of 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., local time, and may not be taken indoors.
The FCC will use Speed Test results to verify the accuracy and reliability of the mobile broadband coverage data that providers must submit to the FCC and are published on the National Broadband Map. Challenge Speed Test results will be analyzed and aggregated each month to determine whether there is a pattern of speed tests from the same area that meets the FCC’s threshold for creating a challenge and requiring a provider response.
Download the FCC Speed Test App on your iOS or Android device.
Using the FCC Speed Test App
- Download the FCC Speed Test app onto your device and open the app.
- The first screen will ask you to select a data usage limit for the app. The default is 1 GB, but you can change this.
- Provide your contact information, which will be shared with the FCC and, if a pattern of speed tests from the same area meets the FCC’s threshold for sending a challenge to the provider for response, will be shared with the provider. (If you just want to take a speed test for personal use, you may skip this step.)
- You may need to grant the app location permissions in order to run the test.
- Click Challenge Speed Test to use the speed test as the basis for a challenge to the coverage reported by your mobile provider on the National Broadband Map.
- Click Get Started at the bottom of the screen.
- If you haven’t done so already, you will need to enter your contact details and check the box to confirm they are correct. You will also need to certify the information, then click Save and Continue.
- Confirm the test conditions are true: (1) that Mobile data is turned on and you are not connected to Wi-Fi and (2) that you are an authorized user of the provider. Click Continue.
- Choose your test environment. You must be either standing outside or in a moving vehicle, but not indoors. Click Continue.
- On the Run Test page, click Start Test at the bottom of the screen. If you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, the app will require you to turn off Wi-Fi before running the test. The Data Usage window will ask you to confirm and click Start Test after reminding you of the data used so far by the app to test.
- The speed test will now run and show the results as they appear. Your Test ID and connection type will appear at the bottom of the screen. Click Finish when you are done.
- You may now test again if you wish. Past tests can be found in Test History at the bottom of the screen.
Learn more about what happens when you submit mobile challenges: https://help.bdc.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/10472720221211-What-to-Expect-after-Filing-a-Mobile-Challenge
The FCC Speed Test app can also perform speed tests to measure the performance of a mobile or Wi-Fi connection. If a user agrees to share their contact information, Speed Tests performed over a mobile (3G, 4G, or 5G) connection will be automatically submitted to the FCC, to help verify the accuracy of the mobile broadband coverage maps filed by providers. You can opt-out of data sharing at any time.
Find out more about the FCC’s mobile speed test app:
