Google-backed M-Lab servers to measure NZ internet performance

Measurement Lab and Victoria University are bringing three M-Lab servers to New Zealand to help measure the state of New Zealand internet.

Measurement Lab, or M-Lab, is an open server platform for researchers to deploy Internet measurement tools and was founded by Google, the PlanetLab Consortium and the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute.

M-Lab aims to further network research and provide the public with useful information about their broadband connections, the platform’s website said.  With this information, users could tell when an Internet application was not working, whether this was due to the connection, the application or something else entirely.

Tools include checking connection speed and problems limiting it, bandwidth checking and traffic shaping, where traffic is delayed or prioritised by ISPs to improve latency and optimize performance.

The three servers in Wellington would bring broadband testing tools to the New Zealand public, New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute director Sascha Meinrath said. 

This would allow better consumer understanding of their broadband performance, and collect data for policy makers and researchers, he said.

“These tools will help New Zealand nurture fast, accessible, and reliable broadband networks and we look forward to continuing our partnerships with locals on the ground to forge a stronger Internet.”

Google engineer Josh Bailey, who worked on the servers, said on his blog that Victoria University Dean of Engineering John Hine had understood the need for broadband data for consumers and researchers, providing as it did more than 400 TB available in the public doman.  He said Mr Hines to this end had helped set up M-Lab servers in Wellington.

“With servers close enough to ensure accurate results, New Zealanders can now reliably access and run M-Lab's tests, and New Zealand's research community can dig into robust data about local broadband performance and make data-based suggestions on how to improve broadband performance.”

Mr Bailey said in a release that significant investment had been made by the government in the future of New Zealand broadband thanks to the UFB initiative.

“The more data we have to support a high performing, open Internet in New Zealand, the better.”

Mr Hine told NBR the University provided space and “minimal” electricity and in return Google provided the servers.  The servers’ connectivity was provided by CityLink, he said.

He said the project had been in the works since June and that while the university would for now make use of the data collected by the servers, it may get involved at a deeper level as the project continued.

Mr Hine said the university was pleased to be working with M-Lab to provide tools to measure the performance of the New Zealand Internet and that it was particularly exciting to have these as the UFB rolled out.

“Measurement Lab will allow us to expand the scope of our research and allow New Zealand users to assess the benefits of the new UFB network.”

He said the project gave New Zealand researchers a chance to get involved in some of the bigger international projects which would not necessarily be available usually due to the country’s size.