For the City Times
WOOD COUNTY – Residents of Wood County are being asked to take an internet speed test to help identify areas where broadband is needed in their community.
“Broadband access is vital to the economic health and growth of our region. Yet many homes and businesses lack broadband access or internet service speeds that are well below federal standards,” a statement from Wood County said.
A Wood County stakeholder task force is leading the charge to build community support and seek grant funds to fill gaps in service. Its latest effort is to promote internet speed test.
“Broadband access is essential for education, business, economic development and the overall quality of life for residents of Wood County,” said Lance Pliml, Chairman of Wood County Council. “We’re asking residents and businesses to take the speed test to help identify areas that need it the most. Our goal is to get speed tests from 3,400 locations.
Wood County is working with the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and others on statewide speed testing.
To enter, visit www.ncwrpc.org/ncwrpc2021/broadband-speed-test on your personal computer, not your mobile phone.
“Even residents who don’t have internet access can help by logging on to the site from a friend’s house or the local library. Click “Enter an address with no service available” to complete the survey. Another option is to call Wood County Planning & Zoning at 715-421-8466 to report the no-service address,” the statement added.
