The Accelerate Virginia Internet speed test is a short and simple online survey coupled with a speed test measuring the overall quality and performance of your Internet connection. Upon completion of the speed test, users will receive performance details regarding their Internet connection as well as a comparison summary based on other speed test results within the community.
To participate in the Appomattox County Internet speed testing campaign, all residents with Internet access are asked to visit http://acceleratevirginia.org/speedtest and take the two-minute speed test from their home computers. Accelerate Virginia also encourages business owners to take the speed test from their business locations. Everyone is asked to spread the word and encourage friends and neighbors to participate.
Residents without high speed Internet service are asked to register their broadband dead zone at: http://www.broadband.gov/qualitytest/deadzone/.
Because numerous, often temporary, factors affect connection speed, you may want to take the speed test more than once, and do so at different dates and times. The average of those readings will present the most reliable overall measure of your connection capabilities. When you connect to the Internet, the speeds you experience will vary based on a variety of factors, including:
• the configuration of the computer from which you are testing;
• your home networking configuration;
• the number of computers and other networked equipment using the available bandwidth at the same time a speed test is being run – for the best results, do not download/upload movies, music, photos etc while running any Internet speed test;
• network or Internet congestion - different times of the day are busier than others;
• server and router speeds of the websites you access;
• and the condition of the wiring at your location.
The Accelerate Virginia campaign’s goal is to collect 300-500 speed tests per county. The data will provide county officials with a more accurate understanding of broadband availability, as well as identify areas of potential need for improved services. The more participation we have, the better the broadband assessment will be for Appomattox County.
Often referred to as high-speed Internet service, broadband makes possible videoconferencing, and Internet phone (VoIP), streaming media, interactivity, and real-time online consultation. Broadband allows faster and richer interactions between citizens and government, businesses and customers, educators and students, libraries and patrons, and families and friends. Broadband empowers Appomattox County residents to launch businesses, work from home, expand their studies, pay bills, conduct research, complete homework, play games and be entertained, exchange e-mails or photos, even stay connected through social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
By improving communication and the flow of information, broadband creates jobs, decreases health care costs, reduces miles driven and fossil fuels consumed, expands consumer choices, improves competition, and entertains more people for less cost. Broadband is the backbone of a high skill, high tech economy, and can lead to a better life for everyone in Virginia.
William T. Craft, Chairman of the Appomattox County Board of Supervisors, is strongly encouraging every resident and business owner in Appomattox to participate in this broadband speed test initiative. According to Mr. Craft, “Maximum broadband availability is extremely important to the economic development efforts of the County. Appomattox is blessed with the Mid-Atlantic Broadband fiber backbone, but now it is important to improve “last-mile” coverage to areas not currently served with high-speed internet. This will allow more County residents to telecommute to work, to take distance-learning classes from colleges and universities across the country, and to submit job applications and resumes online in the attempt to increase their economic well being.”
Accelerate Virginia was launched in 2010 as an extension of the Virginia Tech eCorridors program and is responsible for the collection of consumer broadband availability data for Virginia’s broadband mapping initiative. By participating in the Appomattox County Internet speed testing campaign you will be getting real-time information about the quality of your Internet connection, a comparison summary of what others in your community are reporting, including provider names, connection types, speed averages and satisfaction ratings, and better awareness about the speed you need to access content and services you want. You will also be contributing information that will support Virginia’s effort to accurately map current broadband availability across the state as well as help drive future policy decisions which strategically direct future funding to areas of need.
For more information on Accelerate Virginia and the Appomattox County speed test initiative, please visit the Accelerate Virginia website or contact Jean Plymale, vplymale@vt.edu at (540) 231-2270.
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