Three years of Net health checks
A survey carried out earlier this year on behalf of the Malta Communications Authority (MCA) has revealed that the quality of internet access has improved and users are generally satisfied with the service they get.Indeed 57 per cent of interviewees...
A survey carried out earlier this year on behalf of the Malta Communications Authority (MCA) has revealed that the quality of internet access has improved and users are generally satisfied with the service they get.
Indeed 57 per cent of interviewees said they have never changed their internet service provider (ISP), while 24 per cent have changed because of low speed and often losing the connection. A strong 81 per cent are satisfied with the quality of their internet connection. The most sought-after qualities are speed (36 per cent), good connection (32 per cent) and good price (17 per cent).
Speed and connection quality have been thorny issues with ISPs in the past and this had led the MCA to provide a valuable tool for internet users to check the speed and status of their internet connectivity.
The Internet Health Monitoring System (IHMS) was launched in September 2004 and since then has been used for almost 22,000 tests, averaging 5,859 tests a month or 193 a day.
The most significant trends in the statistics reveal the increased quality of service. The peak number of tests were obtained in 2004 and 2005. October and January are usually the most active, maybe the result of the high number of internet connections bought during the IT fair usually held in October and the Christmas offers.
"The aim of the IHMS was to provide a tool for internet users to be able to assess the quality of internet service independently from service providers. Given the response to date, the public seems to have made quite extensive use of this system, proving that it has become quite a useful reference point," an MCA spokesman confirmed. "Complaints relating to poor download speeds are still incoming, however, are on the decline."
So how does IHMS work? Internet users have to access the website www.nethealth.net.mt and then simply click on "Check your connection speed". The IHMS server is directly connected to the MIX (Malta Internet Exchange or the Maltese backbone). This strategic position ensures that any tests concerning local connectivity are impartial and independent since the MIX acts as a central point in the local internet backbone structure and all ISPs are directly connected to it without the need of international connectivity.
Instructions on the website say the service enables a user to measure the download and upload speeds between his/her computer and MIX, and compare with your purchased internet connection.
When carrying out the IHMS speed test, you are testing the speed of the connection from your premises to the IHMS server and back. This test covers the subscriber's physical connection to the network, the operator's infrastructure, the ISPs network and MIX.
Before running a speed test, make sure that you do not have any running applications, because this will reduce the speed test results.
Besides this basic test, there are other utilities a user can opt to exploit for a more detailed assessment of the internet connection.
More detailed instructions and an FAQ are available on the website.
Almost all Maltese ISPs are connected to IHMS, the major exception being Go Plus (formerly Maltanet), which never accepted to take part. The list includes both ADSL and cable internet access providers and the MITTS network for public employees.
"Participation in the IHMS system has always been on a voluntary basis. Following the launch, a number of additional ISPs requested to participate after evaluating the benefits this could have on their respective businesses," the authority spokesman explained.
According to an Information Society Survey by the National Statistics Office on behalf of the Ministry for IT in June 2007, on average, 70.3 per cent of the respondents reported that they have access to a computer at home. Only 10.8 per cent of those who have access to a computer at home do not have an internet connection. Almost 36 per cent of respondents who are internet users have an ADSL type of internet connection, while 35.2 per cent have a cable internet connection.
To conduct a test go to www.nethealth.net.mt/
Indeed 57 per cent of interviewees said they have never changed their internet service provider (ISP), while 24 per cent have changed because of low speed and often losing the connection. A strong 81 per cent are satisfied with the quality of their internet connection. The most sought-after qualities are speed (36 per cent), good connection (32 per cent) and good price (17 per cent).
Speed and connection quality have been thorny issues with ISPs in the past and this had led the MCA to provide a valuable tool for internet users to check the speed and status of their internet connectivity.
The Internet Health Monitoring System (IHMS) was launched in September 2004 and since then has been used for almost 22,000 tests, averaging 5,859 tests a month or 193 a day.
The most significant trends in the statistics reveal the increased quality of service. The peak number of tests were obtained in 2004 and 2005. October and January are usually the most active, maybe the result of the high number of internet connections bought during the IT fair usually held in October and the Christmas offers.
"The aim of the IHMS was to provide a tool for internet users to be able to assess the quality of internet service independently from service providers. Given the response to date, the public seems to have made quite extensive use of this system, proving that it has become quite a useful reference point," an MCA spokesman confirmed. "Complaints relating to poor download speeds are still incoming, however, are on the decline."
So how does IHMS work? Internet users have to access the website www.nethealth.net.mt and then simply click on "Check your connection speed". The IHMS server is directly connected to the MIX (Malta Internet Exchange or the Maltese backbone). This strategic position ensures that any tests concerning local connectivity are impartial and independent since the MIX acts as a central point in the local internet backbone structure and all ISPs are directly connected to it without the need of international connectivity.
Instructions on the website say the service enables a user to measure the download and upload speeds between his/her computer and MIX, and compare with your purchased internet connection.
When carrying out the IHMS speed test, you are testing the speed of the connection from your premises to the IHMS server and back. This test covers the subscriber's physical connection to the network, the operator's infrastructure, the ISPs network and MIX.
Before running a speed test, make sure that you do not have any running applications, because this will reduce the speed test results.
Besides this basic test, there are other utilities a user can opt to exploit for a more detailed assessment of the internet connection.
More detailed instructions and an FAQ are available on the website.
Almost all Maltese ISPs are connected to IHMS, the major exception being Go Plus (formerly Maltanet), which never accepted to take part. The list includes both ADSL and cable internet access providers and the MITTS network for public employees.
"Participation in the IHMS system has always been on a voluntary basis. Following the launch, a number of additional ISPs requested to participate after evaluating the benefits this could have on their respective businesses," the authority spokesman explained.
According to an Information Society Survey by the National Statistics Office on behalf of the Ministry for IT in June 2007, on average, 70.3 per cent of the respondents reported that they have access to a computer at home. Only 10.8 per cent of those who have access to a computer at home do not have an internet connection. Almost 36 per cent of respondents who are internet users have an ADSL type of internet connection, while 35.2 per cent have a cable internet connection.
To conduct a test go to www.nethealth.net.mt/