Expanding Horizons: FLOTO Partners with United Way and Merit Network to Enhance Broadband Research

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 […]

Continue reading →

Postal Pitfalls: How Missing Postcards Challenge Chicago’s Digital Divide Efforts

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, […]

Continue reading →

Bridging Digital Divides: FLOTO’s New Frontier in Chicago Neighborhoods

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 […]

Continue reading →

Case Study: FLOTO’s Impact through the Analysis of Internet Performance Data in Marion County

In October 2023, the FLOTO project, in collaboration with the Illinois Office of Broadband (IL Broadband) and the Internet Equity Initiative (IEI), assessed home Internet performance in rural Marion County, Illinois. IL Broadband, which oversees major state broadband initiatives for local capacity building, community planning, and digital equity, connected the IEI and FLOTO with an […]

Continue reading →

New Publication: eScience Spotlights FLOTO’s Broadband Breakthroughs

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 […]

Continue reading →

Exciting Expansion: FLOTO Project Secures 1000 Raspberry Pi Devices for Groundbreaking Research

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 […]

Continue reading →

Enhancing Campus Connectivity: FLOTO Project’s Innovative Deployment at the University of Chicago

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 […]

Continue reading →

NSF Awards Funding to Build Open-Source Research Infrastructure for Broadband

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 […]

Continue reading →