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The new service is designed to act as a third party test for consumers who want a better idea of what kind of network performance they are receiving from their Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Google is using data related to how well an ISP can deliver high definition (HD) YouTube videos as the barometer for its ranking system.

According to Google, ISPs are graded on a scale that measures how well their networks can stream high definition (HD) YouTube videos to customers in a given area. Google is measuring how quickly the data flows 90% of the time, so if users of a particular ISP in a given region are able to load 90% of the YouTube videos they see in HD (720p), and get smooth playback on those videos, that ISP in that area will be branded as “YouTube HD Verified.”

Networks that cause videos that load in standard definition (with a resolution of at least 360p) will be considered “standard definition,” while providers whose networks cause videos to load slowly or to be frequently interrupted will be deemed “lower definition.”

Google is hoping that by creating a simple classification system for ISPs and the rate and speed packages they offer, users will be able to better understand the quality of the Internet plans they are paying for.

“The tool we created really has two goals,” Shiva Rajaraman, director of product management at YouTube, told the Financial Post in an interview.

“We wanted to give users a measure of performance that they can truly understand … the other side is we felt this would be beneficial for ISPs too, because now they can describe their service and the various product offerings and price points they might have to their customers in a way that they can truly understand: You can access YouTube in HD on my ISP, or not.”