1)ISPs sell many different internet products
that promise different speeds. Does the methodology rate each product and speed
separately?
Each ISP can provide appropriate product names and speeds for its different
offerings, and the labels in the report depend on the information we have from the
ISP. In some cases, ISPs will provide us information that allows us to identify and
rate the different products and speeds. In other cases, we don’t have detailed
information about the speeds offered to consumers, so we provide a general rating of
the product across all speeds.
2)Why is the bar set high at 90%? Why not use
mean or median?
At Google, we strongly believe that consistent and reliable network performance is
key to a great user experience on the internet. Hence the choice of 90% bar. I.e. one
can expect the rated level of performance 9 out of 10 times. While mean and median
values are useful to represent average network performance, they are not well suited
for the purpose of the rating metric which tries to capture the sustained level of
the network performance.
3)Does this methodology recognize and reward
networks that offer sustained high performance during high service usage
hours?
Yes. Since the GAT volume is request (load) based, high YouTube consumption time
periods (e.g. evenings) would contribute more towards the GAT volume pool, thereby
offering a disproportionate influence on the final rating. The methodology is
naturally normalized for usage.
4)What type of server requests are qualified to
be included in ratings computation?
Requests serving video in modern delivery formats (e.g. DASH, HLS) are included in
the ratings computation. Legacy video formats (e.g. non-adaptive progressive
playbacks, RTSP) are excluded due to lack of high measurement confidence in older
streaming delivery mechanisms. This is done in the interest of maintaining high
degree of accuracy in computed ISP ratings.
5)What are factors within the user’s control
that may influence their video quality experience?
Individual results may vary depending on factors such as: the number of connected
users or devices, your hardware, your software and software configuration, your
connection to the internet (wireless or fixed), and whether you have exceeded your
allotted data quota.
6)For networks: Why aren’t my network’s results
displaying?
We strive to provide the most accurate results to our users. Using certain data
thresholds and heuristics we only include networks available for residential use. If
your results are not displaying or if you believe your results have been incorrectly
categorized, please contact us at: hdverified@google.com