The early findings confirm the existence of a "digital divide" amongst European cities:
- Multinational ISPs that trade under the same brand name in different countries vary in performance as much as 44%
- London and Amsterdam performed almost 3 times better than Madrid and Dublin in key tests
- Milan and Dublin broadband service levels lag severely behind other European cities tested
The research considered technical parameters that affect popular uses such as web surfing, VoIP, internet gaming and streaming video. Performance measurements were conducted using Epitiro's recently expanded ISP-I(TM) network of satellite devices that operate as typical home computers by connecting to the internet and executing a series of test routines. The dedicated testing apparatus avoids the possibility of erroneous measurements with common 'speed test' web sites where unknown network paths and personal computer configurations often skew results.
"Regulators, consumer advocate groups and ISPs need to know the true broadband service levels delivered to customers," said Gavin Johns, CEO, Epitiro. "The infrastructure investment we've made into Europe to provide accurate broadband performance data has now made this possible."
The data revealed inconsistency amongst multinational ISPs service levels with Orange (41% difference), Alice (44%) and Tele2(31%) brands varying significantly in service quality from city to city.
"With technically advanced cities such as Stockholm, Helsinki and Berlin not included in this report the actual digital divide in Europe maybe more severe," continued Johns. "Though we're pleased to be sharing our data to date, we're keen to complete the full research necessary to publish the 'EU Member State Internet Performance Index' in early 2009."
