Mathematical Algorithm for Processing Measurement Results of Internet Access Service in the Scope of Net Neutrality

Abstract

Abstract Since Regulation (EU) 2015/2120 of the European Parliament and of the Council came into force, Internet service providers have to fulfill various additional requirements in order to guarantee access to the open internet and provide transparent information to the end-users. Of the utmost importance is to ensure achievable, meaningful and comparable results of the internet quality indicators, particularly upload and download speed values. Regulation (EU) 2015/2120 stipulates that specific speeds should be indicated in the contracts: for fixed internet access service those are maximum, minimum, normally available and advertised speed and for mobile internet access service – estimated maximum and advertised speed. However, there are no common methods put in place to calculate required speed indicators that can lead to a large amount of noncomparable and unreviewable information and create difficulties for internet providers to describe quality indicators. Within the framework of the present research, a mathematical estimation algorithm has been elaborated and applied in order to ensure that required quality parameters are represented objectively and that they are intercomparable among different internet service providers. Unified calculation principle would foster end-user awareness of the meaning of quality indicators and also of the quality of received internet services. It would also facilitate the indication of the required information for internet service providers.