App of the Week: Ookla Speedtest

I’ve been using this app for a few years (it is also available as an internet page app) and really like it. You might be asking yourself why it is important to have a good internet speed app on your phone. Consider this: you’re in an airport or at a coffee shop, and you’ve managed to get into their free wifi network. But man, Facebook and twitter are just crawling painfully slow! It’s nice to have free internet, but is it nice to wait 90 seconds to load a picture? I didn’t think so.

What I use this app for is comparing internet speed performance between wifi hotspots and my iPhone’s LTE connection. If I find a huge difference in speed (iPhone outperforming wifi), I will in many cases switch my wifi off and just run on my LTE connection. I’ve found this to be most helpful when I’m doing documentation training offsite for a new employee. As I carry an ultra fast LTE connection around with me all the time, I don’t have to wonder whether or not I will be able to get my work done on a free wifi hotspot.

The app function is very simple, fire it up, click “Begin Test”, and see what your speed is. If you are on a wifi connection, switch it off and try your cellular data connection. Compare your findings and choose which connection is best for you.

One of the greatest aspects of this app is its price tag: Free. Download it today!

– Jon