(Telecompaper) The US Federal Communications Commission has released an Android app for mobile users to test the speed of broadband connections. Available free, the FCC Speed Test app will use crowdsourcing to assess mobile broadband performance nationwide. It was developed in cooperation with mobile service providers and other stakeholders to provide consumers with information on their own mobile broadband speeds. In 2014, the FCC will release interactive maps and other tools to allow consumers to check mobile broadband network performance around the country based on aggregate data collected by the app. Once installed, the app runs periodically in the background, automatically performing tests when users aren't using their smartphones. A manual option is available for on-demand mobile broadband testing. By default, the app will use no more than 100 MB of data each month for automated testing. Users may adjust the data limit from within the app. The anonymous data collected will help the FCC's Measuring Broadband America program provide accurate information on mobile broadband performance in the US to support its policymaking. An iPhone version of the app is expected to be ready in early 2014.