You log into Netflix. The "buffering" drives you crazy. You call your ISP and complain about the speed. The first thing they do is recommend a test based on Speedtest. Magic! Everything seems to work, right? Actually... no. The relationship between Netflix and ISPs is much tenser than we think, and knowing our "real" download speed is critical if we want to understand what's happening. Netflix's solution? Fast, its own measurement system for broadband connections, fixed or mobile.
Deep down, no user is really interested in the "cold war" being waged between Netflix and many internet providers around the globe. Netflix does everything possible to reduce data volume without sacrificing quality, but we know well that the arrow goes in one direction. HD packages will become cheaper as 4K streaming with HDR support gains traction, user demand will be much higher, data caps will blow up, and both sides will blame each other. I sincerely hope I'm wrong and that the transition to higher resolutions in streaming is "peaceful"... but Netflix has already placed a new piece on the board, and it's called Fast.
What Is Fast?
Fast is a new tool to evaluate the real download speed you get from your provider. Unlike Speedtest, which has already suffered more than one manipulation in its results by providers, Netflix directly controls Fast, and in theory it should be much harder to alter the numbers. Fast is based on HTML5, carries no additional advertising, and is so simple it doesn't even report upload speed.
Fast works without restrictions on mobile connections (as well as including devices like Smart TVs), and the official announcement suggests that in the short term it will become a much more useful tool for users than the ISP Speed Index, whose data comes from monthly calculations. Do you feel your provider is lying about speed? Why not take the test?
