Speed Up America seeks better data on rural broadband

Lane County in Oregon and the Technology Association of Oregon have teamed up to develop a tool called Speed Up America designed to provide on-the-ground truth about what speeds are really like across the country, particularly for rural Americans.

The tool provides comparative data on Internet speeds in Oregon and will soon be expanded to other states. The goal is to create a dynamic map allowing everyone in the US to compare their Internet experience including actual speed, advertised speed, price paid per month, and service satisfaction.

“We’re proud to support Lane County and the City of Eugene as part of our Smart Gigabit Communities program in their efforts to map broadband access and provide transparent and accurate data on network speeds,” said Scott Turnbull, director of technology for nonprofit US Ignite. “Communities have proven over-and-over again how broadband boosts economic growth and improves quality of life. However, without accurate maps, we can’t identify where speeds are lacking and where we could be making a difference for communities seeking to attract new businesses, support citizen services, and enable advanced applications like tele-health and remote education.”

Participating is simple: visit http://www.SpeedUpAmerica.com and click the “Take the Test” button.