Launch of M-Lab as Net Neutrality Tool

The recent launch of Measurement Lab (M-Lab) provides consumers, regulators, and content providers with the details about their network’s performance, according to CNET. Backed by Google, the New America Foundation (affiliated with the Democratic Party), and the PlanetLab consortium, M-Lab aims to increase network transparency by allowing researchers to share data relating to network performance and regulation.

The launch of the platform has a great deal of significance in the ongoing Net neutrality issue. Part of the current American economic stimulus package stipulates that federal regulators must define and enforce open access rules for various broadband and wireless networks. It is generally difficult, particularly for policymakers, to determine when network providers are interfering with end-user access, as the 2007 discovery of Comcast’s attempt to thwart BitTorrent traffic illustrates.

Ed Felton, director of the Center for Information Policy stated that M-Lab “will help you gather the evidence you need” if you “believe the government should take more active steps to mandate Net neutrality.” Moreover, Felton claims that a higher degree of transparency will give Internet service providers “true market incentive” to behave in consumer-friendly ways.

Within six months, Google will augment the existing three servers by providing researchers with 36 servers in 12 locations worldwide. All of the data collected by these servers will be made publicly available.