Raspberry Pi hack tweets every time broadband level drops

A Reddit user has programmed his Raspberry Pi to automatically send a tweet to Comcast every time his connection drops below 50 mbps.

Twitter is natural fit as a customer service tool. If used effectively, the public nature of the platform can help promote a positive image of the company as responsive and helpful. But it can just as easily go the other way, as currently being demonstrated by one Reddit user called AlekseyP. Unimpressed by erratic internet speeds from his service provider Comcast, AlekseyP has programmed his Raspberry Pi to automatically send a tweet, every time his connection drops below 50 mbps.

Comcast advertises data rates up to 150 mbps but AlekseyP noticed that the rate often drops to as low as 10-30. Initially, he would tweet at Comcast, but by the time they replied — often hours later — normal service had usually resumed. Now, he has hacked his Raspberry Pi to tweet Comcast automatically with the current speed, whenever it drops, but refrained from giving his account number in order to hold the company responsible.

Could the hack be adapted and used by the companies themselves, as a transparency or marketing exercise?