The broadband map project speed test survey is currently underway and all residents and businesses are invited to participate by testing their Internet speed using the website for the study.
The information gathered will be used to determine the need for high-speed broadband infrastructure throughout northern Nevada.
“During the course of the COVID-19 Pandemic, broadband connectivity has been revealed as a cornerstone to business resiliency, education opportunities, financial literacy, access to employment and health care through telemedicine,” said Public Relations Representative Don Vetter. “The Western Nevada Development District and its government members have established the Western Nevada Broadband Initiative to address our regional connectivity needs.”
The first step identified in regional planning and stakeholder outreach efforts is that more data is needed to discern areas that are in need of reliable, affordable access to broadband service.
The Nevada Speed Test will map the broadband speeds at various locations which will help determine strategies and funding solutions to improve regional broadband infrastructure.
The data map will have built in layers of information that will allow the map to be used as a tool for grant writing for broadband infrastructure projects.
“WNDD and its partners want to tap into the ARPA money and the Infrastructure Bill dollars that are designed for broadband and this is a tool that will help make that happen in a competitive landscape,” said Vetter.
The Nevada Speed Test may be performed on any device that has an Internet or cellular connection and takes less than one minute to complete, no personal information will be collected and repeated tests are encouraged during the on-year initiative to better capture variations in Internet speeds and collect more statistically valid data.
The speed test and mapping hardware was created by GEO Partners LLC, a Minnesota-based tech company that analyzes real-time Internet speed data by collecting speed test information from residents. GEO is an independent broadband data collection and analysis firm with extensive experience and not affiliated with any Internet service providers, as reported by WNDD.
Residents and businesses can complete the speed test online at www.nevadaspeedtest.org.
WNDD is an economic development district established under the Economic Development Administration of the US Department of Commerce, it is a member-driven organization and currently has seven counties, seven municipalities and 21 associate members in northwestern Nevada.
WNDD engages in strategic economic development planning that focuses on building community capacity and supporting a vibrant and sustainable regional economy.
To complete the broadband mapping project, each member including the City of Winnemucca and Humboldt County were asked to contribute $2,850 for a $40,000 total price of participating in the mapping project, which was planned to be an annual amount to continue to update the map.
