Internet access can be measured on all three mobile networks in Switzerland. It is also offered by major fixed-line operators with at least 300 000 customers.
The measurement tool developed jointly by Swisscom, Sunrise UPC and Salt is available at www.networktest.ch and in the usual app stores since September 1st 2021. Anonymized measurement results are published on www.networktest.ch.
The quality measurement covers:
- the speed in both directions (transmission speeds, upload and download)
- the time taken for a data packet to travel from the sending point to its destination and back again (Round Trip Time)
- jitter (Round Trip Time variation)
- packet loss ratio
- for mobile radio: in addition, the strength of the signal received by the cell phone from the mobile radio antenna (received signal strenght).
On the basis of these measurements, customers can better judge whether the quality of internet access meets their expectations (maps and graphs).
The Swiss measurement application works in the same way as those offered in many neighboring countries, making comparisons with other countries more robust than before.
The specifications for internet quality measurement are laid down in the telecommunications legislation that came into force on January 1st 2021 Article 12a of the Telecommunications Act and Article 10e of the Ordinance on Telecommunications Services (OTS); available only in German, French and Italian). Details can be found in the technical and administrative regulations on the publication of information about telecommunication quality of services, published by OFCOM on November 18th 2020 (first edition), and January 1st 2024 (2nd edition).
The dates from which this data will be measured and published are listed in Part III, paras 3 and 5 of the OTS revision of 18 November 2020 (AS 2020, p. 6203; available in German, French and Italian).
