Curious if your mobile broadband provider is giving you the speed of promises? So is the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC is so interested, in fact, that they are launching an app that will help you track how fast your mobile internet speed is and report the findings.

In September 2012, the FCC announced their plan to measure performance of all mobile broadband providers. All four major providers, AT&T, Sprint, T-mobile, and Verizon, agreed to be onboard with the study. A little over a year later and we finally have our first Android app, called FCC Speed Test. At the moment only the Android app is ready — and will be made available on Play Store soon — but an iPhone app is hopefully in the works.

In 2011, the FCC conducted a similar study on landline broadband providers. This study revealed that almost all landline providers were provided speeds that met or exceeded their advertised speeds. One company even raised their speeds during peak hours due to the study.

So, is those information going to net you better speeds on your mobile broadband? Probably not. It is supposed to help ensure that you are getting the speeds that you are paying for. The FCC is also hoping to use this information to ensure there is adequate completion between mobile broadband providers.

[via Wall Street Journal]