The service measures the data throughput (speed) and latency (connection delay) of an Internet connection against one of over 16,000 geographically dispersed servers (as of December 2023).[7] Each test measures the data rate for the download direction, i.e. from the server to the user computer, and the upload data rate, i.e. from the user's computer to the server. The tests are performed within the user's web browser or within mobile apps. As of 17 February 2024[update], over 52.3 billion Internet speed tests have been completed.[8]
Tests were previously performed over HTTP. To improve accuracy, Speedtest.net now performs tests via a custom protocol over TCP sockets.
The site also offers detailed statistics based on test results. This data has been used by numerous publications in the analysis of Internet access data rates around the world.[9][10][11]
The owner and operator of Speedtest.net, Ookla, was established in 2006 by partners Mike Apgar and Doug Suttles. Suttles suggested the name Ookla because he already owned the Ookla.com domain name in honor of his pet cat, who was in turn named for a character on the TV series Thundarr the Barbarian.[5] The domain speedtest.net has been used to host a speed test since 2000, and was acquired by Ookla in 2006.[12]
As of 2011, Ookla claimed 80% market share and was one of the top 1000 most popular websites. At the time, Ookla derived its revenue primarily from fees paid by companies to license custom speed test and proprietary testing software. Clients reportedly included media companies like CNN and Disney, and telecommunications providers like AT&T, Verizon, and CenturyLink.[5]
Speedtest.net started as a Flash-based broadband speed test service. After Adobe deprecated Flash, and announced its End-Of-Life (EOL), Ookla ported the speed test from Flash to HTML5. The new HTML5 based speed test went out of beta on January 9, 2018.[17][18]
