New York AG wants New Yorkers to check their internet speeds

New Yorkers can now check the internet speeds and submit data to authorities.

Attorney general Eric Schneiderman on Sunday launched an online form that would allow consumers to check whether their advertised speeds were accurate.

"New Yorkers should get the internet speeds they pay for. Too many of us may be paying for one thing, and getting another," Schneiderman said in a statement. "By conducting these tests, consumers can uncover whether they are receiving the internet speeds they have paid for."

The free assessment is now available at InternetHealthTest.org, where customers can check their "throughput" speeds at which the user actually gets digital content. Once they are done with the tests, they can take a screenshot of the results and submit it online with more details about their connection.

"No individual New Yorker acting alone can influence the giant telecom companies that control broadband in our state, so the attorney general's investigation is very welcome," said Susan Lerner, executive director of NYAG partner Common Cause / NY.

In October, Schneiderman launched an investigation into Verizon, Cablevision, and Time Warner Cable, and asked each for copies of disclosures made to customers and details about speed tests. The AG had concerns customers were paying for faster broadband speeds than they received, due to technical problems and disputes over interconnection agreements.

The ongoing investigation had focused on so-called interconnection arrangements, or contractual deals that internet service providers struck with other networks for the mutual exchange of data.

In the October letter sent to the companies, Schneiderman's office said it remained concerned that customers who paid a premium for higher speeds might be experiencing a disruption in their service due to technical problems and business disputes over interconnection agreements.