Summit County residents, businesses, schools, local governments and others are invited to take an internet speed test sponsored by County Executive Ilene Shapiro’s office, according to a press release. The test will help her office identify coverage gaps and high-speed availability throughout the county. It will also allow the county to apply for federal funding to help lower those coverage gaps.
For those interested in taking the test, it is available at https://co.summitoh.net/summitconnects. The test, developed by Shapiro’s GIS team and Ookla, an online service that analyzes internet access performance, includes several survey questions related to internet performance and cost.
All information collected will be kept confidential and not used for any other purpose, a release from Shapiro’s office said.
Shapiro’s office has heard from residents in recent years about how the quality of internet service they receive doesn’t match what they pay their provider each month or that high speed service isn’t available to them. Significant federal funding is available to increase internet access, but Shapiro and her office need more data in order to submit grant applications.
The data collected from the test will also help the county continue to build out the Summit Connects high-speed fiber public safety network. Shapiro’s office expects the construction bid for the project to be available by the end of May.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at [email protected], or on Twitter @athompsonABJ
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
