Google has launched a ‘Video Quality Report’ that aims to measure the speed of your Internet connection via the quality of the videos being streamed by YouTube, as spotted first by Engadget.
As Google explains: “When your ISP receives your video from YouTube, they begin the important job of carrying it across their network to your home. They must ensure there’s enough capacity where they receive the data from YouTube. Otherwise, your video streaming quality will suffer.”
A subpar connection provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or congestion in the network could cause interruptions in the video or bad picture quality.
A Financial Post report notes that ISPs will be graded as ‘YouTube HD Verified’ if customers of a particular ISP are able to load 90 percent of YouTube videos in 720p and get a smooth playback.
This means Google’s video quality report will give an indicator of whether an ISP is providing quality Internet connections — and comes in as a useful measurement for both consumers and companies.
The report, however, is only available for Canadians currently. It’s likely that it will roll out to other countries in due time though.
Headline image via Rego Korosi/ Flickr
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.