From Alabama NewsCenter
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) wants Alabama residents and business owners to weigh in on their broadband internet access and speeds.
The survey at https://alabama.speedsurvey.org/ will help state officials locate gaps in broadband service and help fill those gaps.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many to work and complete school from home, and further highlighted the importance of having access to high-speed internet across the state,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. “Taking this speed survey will help us get the data we need to plan our efforts to help close those service gaps.”
ADECA administers the Broadband Alabama program, which includes the Broadband Accessibility Fund created by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey. It was created to assist broadband providers in extending high-speed internet service for households, businesses and community anchors in unserved areas or areas lacking minimum threshold service.
Many Alabama homes and businesses are receiving less than the federal minimum for broadband, which is 25 megabits per second (Mbps) download speed and 3 Mbps upload speed. The information gathered from the survey will help pinpoint areas that lack minimum coverage. The address of survey participants will not be made public and the information will be used solely for the state’s planning efforts.
“Access to broadband is also a big economic driver for recruiting industry and jobs,” Boswell said. “This is a quick and easy step you can take to show us if there is a coverage gap in your area. We encourage all Alabama residents and businesses to take the speed survey and help us continue Gov. Kay Ivey’s efforts to grow Alabama’s economy.”
