The proliferation of high-speed internet has fundamentally altered modern society, yet significant disparities in broadband access and performance persist. Understanding these disparities and their implications requires robust, granular data on internet performance. The FLOTO project aims to contribute to this understanding by deploying 1,000 edge devices to measure broadband performance in households across select urban […]

If you follow our research, you know that broadband measurement is at the heart of our project. FLOTO’s core insight is leveraging advances in edge computing and hardware to improve broadband measurement for research and policy while reducing the costs and complexity of managing edge deployments. Our work over the last two years has helped […]

In an ongoing effort to bridge the digital divide and promote equitable internet access, the FLOTO project, in collaboration with the Internet Equity Initiative (IEI), has been working closely with the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce (GECC) in Chicago. This case study highlights our journey of community engagement and technological advocacy in Englewood, showcasing how […]

The FLOTO project is thrilled to announce two significant partnerships that mark a pivotal expansion of our broadband research efforts. We have recently secured research agreements with United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Merit Network, aiming to deploy our innovative FLOTO infrastructure in Milwaukee, WI, and San Rafael, CA. These collaborations represent a major step […]

In a recent initiative by the FLOTO project, in partnership with the University of Chicago’s Internet Equity Initiative, we embarked on a crucial study to uncover internet access disparities within Chicago, focusing on the South Shore and Logan Square neighborhoods. We distributed thousands of postcards inviting residents to participate in a study measuring internet performance, […]

The FLOTO project is on the move, broadening its horizons beyond academic and institutional settings to directly engage with the heart of urban life. In an ambitious expansion, we’re deploying 200 measurement devices across residential areas in Chicago, focusing on the vibrant communities of Logan Square and South Shore. This strategic move marks a significant […]

The FLOTO project proudly announces our publication, “Discovery Testbed: an Observational Instrument for Broadband Research,” in the 2023 IEEE 19th International Conference on e-Science. This paper showcases the design of FLOTO, its application in collecting detailed broadband performance data, and its role in supporting policy decisions for equitable broadband deployment. Our innovative approach utilizes single […]

We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone for the FLOTO project, marking a leap forward in our quest to deepen our understanding of access networks. Thanks to a newly secured contract, we will be receiving 1000 Raspberry Pi 4 devices, which will serve as the backbone for constructing a large, distributed observational instrument. This […]

We are excited to share that the FLOTO project has taken a significant step forward in enhancing network performance and connectivity within the academic sphere. In a pioneering move, we’ve begun deploying devices across the University of Chicago’s campus, launching a targeted initiative to measure and improve broadband performance in various campus buildings. A total […]

The NSF has awarded $1.5 million in funding to PI Kate Keahey and Co-PI Nick Feamster to construct an open-source discovery testbed. See the reward abstract here. The FLOTO project will build a discovery testbed: a large, distributed observational instrument built for the purpose of advancing research on access networks, i.e., the last-mile networks that […]