1. A method for statistically determining average network speed in a communications network, comprising: providing a plurality of subscriber equipment coupled across a plurality of network elements of the network to a headend; analyzing the network to determine an arrangement for speed test servers to collect network speed data; providing a plurality of speed test servers dispersed in a portion of the plurality of network elements of the network according to the determined arrangement; performing speed tests using the plurality of speed test servers to gather the network speed data for the portion of the plurality of network elements with the speed test servers, wherein speed tests are not performed to gather network speed data of another portion of the plurality of network segments coupling the plurality of subscriber equipment to the headend without the speed test servers, the speed tests for each of the portion of the plurality of network elements being performed at a plurality of different times per day; providing the network speed data gathered from the plurality of speed servers to a central database; analyzing a volume of network traffic, including the volume of network traffic at the plurality of times; statistically analyzing the gathered network speed data in the central database to generate a model of average network speed for the portion of the plurality of network elements at the plurality of times; and statistically analyzing the model of average network speed of the portion of the plurality of network elements and the volume of network traffic to generate a model of predicted network speed for the other portion of the plurality of network elements coupling the subscribers to the headend without the speed test servers.