New Canaan Residents Invited To Take At-Home Cell Test
Information via the town of New Canaan
NEW CANAAN, CT — The New Canaan Utilities Commission invites residents to test the quality of their home's cellular service to add depth and detail to the town-wide mobile network coverage data already collected.
In a news release provided by the town, Communications Associate Greg Reilly said this is the second phase of local cell service data collection as the commission works with carriers to explore options for improving coverage in New Canaan.
The results of the first phase of data collection came from a "drive test" of cellular signals of four major carriers in June.
One finding of the study, conducted by network intelligence company Ookla while driving 125 miles of New Canaan roads, is that cellular coverage in parts of New Canaan is poor with low levels of performance connecting calls, keeping calls uninterrupted and delivering data, according to Reilly.
For example, the test showed 93% of the samples collected during the drive test were considered poor or very poor, the lowest two categories, on strength of signal, Reilly said.
Reilly said adding test results from specific residences will enhance the coverage maps produced from the drive test, as many homes on larger lots are located far away from the actual streets of New Canaan, which is where the initial drive-testing occurred.
The combined data will help the town and mobile network carriers target the areas with the greatest need for improved coverage, Reilly said.
How to Conduct a Test at Home
According to Reilly, conducting the data speedtest is easy and free of charge:
- Download the "Speedtest by Ookla" app to your phone. iPhones find it in the Apple App store. Android phones find it in the Google Play Store.
- Open the Speedtest App.
- Wait about 30 seconds for the test to complete.
Home test results will automatically be sent to Ookla via the app. The commission encourages residents to send their results directly to their individual carriers also, as this does not happen automatically, Reilly said.
Residents are also encouraged to conduct their home test twice:
New Canaan residents are asked to test their cellular service and submit the results before Nov. 1.
for a flyer on how to take the data "speedtest" at home.
The town also provided the following links to quick primer videos on how to take the speedtest:
Drive Test Results
Results, insights and coverage maps of four major carriers in New Canaan – AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and FirstNet (for first responders) – can be found , and by clicking .
