# Survey: Android app to show 4G data quality around you in real-time?



## BeantownSid (Jul 20, 2017)

Fine folks, 
Would a demand map style application that shows "green zones" and "red zones" for internet availability around you be useful? 
It would update constantly with crowd-sourced data and perhaps warn audibly that "You are currently in a dead zone. Navigate to place X for 4G LTE on your carrier Y"?










I ask because I develop software apps, and figured this might be useful to a loto lot of folks.

Would you pay $10 a month for it via the Google Play Store or Apple App store?


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## yojimboguy (Mar 2, 2016)

My phone automatically dowgrades to 3g if 4g isn't available, and hooks up to any unsecured local wifi.

Why might I need your app?

$10 a month? Not a chance.


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## Mikedamirault (Jun 22, 2016)

I've got to agree with yojimboguy, I wouldn't pay $10/mo for any app unless I desperately needed it, I rarely if ever even pay for 99c apps

OTOH, I am willing to pay $10/mo for a needed service/account that comes bundled with a free app, as long as that service/account is usable on multiple devices and not $10/mo per device, I am also willing to use ad supported apps as long as the ads are unobtrusive and don't break or hinder the use of the app if we don't click/tap them (no full screen ads for example)

As yojimboguy pointed out, as much as we may rely on our LTE data, our phones will fall back to 3G data when LTE is not available and may be acceptable for the task at hand (for example, our driver app and typical web browsing doesn't require the speed LTE offers), and WiFi helps fill in the gaps anyway

On top of that, signal range is only half the battle anyway (WiFi or Cellular), there's still the available bandwidth, it's still possible to have great connection strength to the tower(s) and still only get close to dial-up speeds (sometimes due to overloaded towers), LTE coverage maps won't help with that

LTE works nearly everywhere I am, so data just works, the only issues I see on a daily basis is when I have low bandwidth on those towers, so it's not worth paying $10/mo for what I already know


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## BeantownSid (Jul 20, 2017)

Mikedamirault said:


> I've got to agree with yojimboguy, I wouldn't pay $10/mo for any app unless I desperately needed it, I rarely if ever even pay for 99c apps
> 
> OTOH, I am willing to pay $10/mo for a needed service/account that comes bundled with a free app, as long as that service/account is usable on multiple devices and not $10/mo per device, I am also willing to use ad supported apps as long as the ads are unobtrusive and don't break or hinder the use of the app if we don't click/tap them (no full screen ads for example)
> 
> ...


Mikedamirault Thanks for the very thoughtful answer, sincerely appreciate it. 
Key summary points: 
1. A valuable service that works across my devices is good (willing to spend for a PRO mode) 
2. Signal strength isn't useful by itself: congestion on the tower (say due to peak hours or sports events), and high latency conditions are key


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

BeantownSid said:


> Fine folks,
> Would a demand map style application that shows "green zones" and "red zones" for internet availability around you be useful?
> It would update constantly with crowd-sourced data and perhaps warn audibly that "You are currently in a dead zone. Navigate to place X for 4G LTE on your carrier Y"?
> 
> ...


$5 one-off purchase. If it was a good, heatmap-style interface, did NOT ***ever*** give me AI advice where to go, showed separate Bands by decibels, did NOT have any unwanted notifications or could be fully customized down to zero notifications, would start and quit on demand and ACTUALLY fully exit...

***AND*** (dealbreaker!) would NOT gather or broadcast any data including the crowdsource info for the heatmaps themselves from paid users, unless those soecifically allowed it.

Btw, yes no background data mine, but also full no-gathering mode for when app is ON and in foreground.

Apso should show me anywhere it has data on if I paid for it

...but where would this data come from? Mercessly datamined demo version users, whi would get a very limited signal map of a few miles around them and surrender tons of info for you to resell to miners too...

Cuz lets face it thats what you actually want. So dont shoot yourself in the foot by charging for base version, but also allow your paid subscriber to opt out of EVER sending a single byte of data collected from/by them to you


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## BeantownSid (Jul 20, 2017)

Thanks Adieu . Indeed if it's Waze-like, it needs to be free for the base product. Appreciate your thoughts.


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## BeantownSid (Jul 20, 2017)

Mikedamirault said:


> I've got to agree with yojimboguy, I wouldn't pay $10/mo for any app unless I desperately needed it, I rarely if ever even pay for 99c apps
> 
> OTOH, I am willing to pay $10/mo for a needed service/account that comes bundled with a free app, as long as that service/account is usable on multiple devices and not $10/mo per device, I am also willing to use ad supported apps as long as the ads are unobtrusive and don't break or hinder the use of the app if we don't click/tap them (no full screen ads for example)
> 
> ...


Mikedamirault : Try this out please, and give feedback? 
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...t.quality.map.for_drivers.uber.ola.lyft.gojek

A very rudimentary v0.2 that tests *real* internet latency and congestion, not just signal strength !


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## Safe_Driver_4_U (Apr 2, 2017)

can you write an Uber type app?


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## BeantownSid (Jul 20, 2017)

Safe_Driver_4_U said:


> can you write an Uber type app?


What feature or capability are you hoping to see?


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## unPat (Jul 20, 2016)

BeantownSid said:


> What feature or capability are you hoping to see?


You take 5% commission and drivers keep the rest. You shut up after that.

Uber drivers are constantly moving, google maps works offline. I don't think I would use the app for a fee. I have been to the boonies here in Florida but the internet works everywhere maybe bad at places but good at times. Your app won't be of any use to me. Besides you can turn on the field test mode on your iPhone and it shows you the reception instead of the bars or dots.


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