November 1st, 2011

A new web 2.0 app, called "System for Performance Evaluation of Broadband Connection Services", or SPEBS, was recently released by the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT), the Greek national electronic communications and postal services regulator. By logging in http://broadbandtest.eett.gr and http://test.broadband.gr, broadband users will actively contribute to the development of Greece's first national broadband map, which features broadband connections and their performance characteristics. The qualitative characteristics of the broadband connection will be measured with the use of the Measurement Lab (M-Lab) platform (http://www.measurementlab.net).

On registration, users provide the postal address (location on the map) of their broadband connection, the service/network provider and the maximum theoretical downlink/uplink throughputs of their connection (headline speed). Every time users log into their account and measure the performance characteristics, the results are correlated to the geographic location of their connection. Also, registered users gain access to additional services, such as downloadable historical measurement data of their connection (in CSV format) and graphical representation of their connections' performance over time.

To encourage the reuse and further development of SPEBS with new tools and applications, EETT publicizes all specifications, design, methodologies and open source software used on the web site, at https://forge.osor.eu/projects/spebs and http://broadbandtest.eett.gr/about. The application may be frequently updated with improvements on its software, taking into consideration the constructive feedback provided by end users.

SPEBS was developed by the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) and the Institute of Communication and Computer systems (ICCS) of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). It makes use of measurement tools and services provided by the Measurement Lab (M-Lab) platform. An M-Lab node in Athens was first deployed in 2009, by EETT and The Greek Research and Technology Network (GRNET), in cooperation with researchers from the M-Lab Partnership and the PlanetLab Consortium.

About the Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT)
Established in 1992, the Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT) regulates, supervises and monitors the electronic communications as well as the postal services market in Greece. The commission is committed to ensuring a competitive framework for the electronic communications and postal services markets within the Greek territory, according to the national and the current EU regulation laws, as well as to providing for the protection of the interests of the end-users. EETT is an independent self- funded decision-making body.

For more Information, please contact Ioanna Alexopoulou, Head of the Public Relations Dept., by phone at +30 210 615 1250 or by e-mail at i.alexopoulou@eett.gr.