A new statewide effort to map current Internet availability throughout Virginia is being compared with the Depression-era effort to spread electricity and telephones around the country.
Virginia residents, businesses, educational institutions, health care facilities and other groups are being asked to participate by providing information about the quality of their Internet connections.
The test seeks gaps in high speed Internet service.
"Broadband is a very big national imperative right now," says Jean Plymale of Accelerate Virginia, which has been working to upgrade Internet service across the state.
She says the aim is to get people in places, such as Fauquier County, where there may be gaps in service, to take the speed test. The idea is to let the government and service providers know which areas need Internet service.
Fauquier is the first county in Northern Virginia to participate in the effort.
Internet service providers often skip rural areas with thin populations because there's not enough profit in setting up service. But, Plymale says that theory has opened opportunities for small entrepreneurs to set up service.
The test allows the county to find areas where there is good service and address areas that need help. It takes about 2 minutes to complete, though Plymale says not everyone can run it.
"If your connection's really slow it's going to be really hard even to get to that website," she says.
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