Rockingham County residents asked to help identify areas in need of broadband

Accelerate Virginia Informational Flyer

BLACKSBURG, VA- Rockingham County is joining with other Virginia counties to map broadband availability by starting their own local Internet speed testing campaign. Residents with Internet access are asked to take the Accelerate Virginia speed test to help identify areas in the county in need of better access to high-speed Internet services.

The Accelerate Virginia Internet speed test is a short and simple online survey and speed test that measures 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 in your community.

To participate in the Rockingham 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.

Because numerous, often temporary factors affect connection speed, you may want to take the speed test more than once, 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 that you will experience will vary based on a variety of factors, including:

• the configuration of the computer you are testing from,
• 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,
• 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 assessment will be for Rockingham County.

Often referred to as high-speed Internet service, broadband makes possible videoconferencing, 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 Rockingham 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.

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 Rockingham 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 and to help drive future policy decisions and strategically direct future funding to areas of need.

If you cannot receive high speed Internet services at your address, please register your broadband dead zone at: http://www.broadband.gov/qualitytest/deadzone/. If you have questions or want more Information about Accelerate Virginia, please contact Jean Plymale, vplymale@vt.edu at (540) 231-2270.

Taken from Rockingham County
10/19/2011
By Author

Goochland County and Accelerate Virginia ask residents to help identify areas in need of broadband

Goochland County is joining with many other Virginia counties to map broadband availability through Accelerate Virginia, an award winning Internet speed testing campaign. The County and Accelerate Virginia are partnering to promote local participation by residents and businesses which will help identify areas in the county that are in need of better access to high-speed Internet services. 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. Additionally it aims to engage and educate the public and raise awareness about broadband availability in Virginia.

The Accelerate Virginia Internet speed test is a short and simple online survey and speed test that measures the overall quality and performance of your Internet connection. For the first time, users (not just providers) are being asked to provide information about Internet accessibility in their communities. Upon completion users will receive performance details regarding their Internet connection, as well as a comparison summary based on other speed test results in the community.

To participate in the Accelerate Virginia 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.

Participants will receive real-time information about the quality of their Internet connection; a comparison summary of what others in the 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. Participants will also be contributing information that will support Virginia’s effort to accurately map current broadband availability across the state and to help drive future policy decisions and strategically direct future funding to areas of need.

Because numerous, often temporary factors affect connection speed, you may want to take the speed test more than once, 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 that you will experience will vary based on a variety of factors, including:

• the configuration of the computer you are testing from;
• 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 Accelerate Virginia and 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 assessment will be for Goochland County.

Often referred to as high-speed internet service, broadband makes possible videoconferencing, 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 Goochland County residents to launch businesses, work from home, expand their studies, pay bills, conduct research, complete homework, and exchange e-mails or photos.

If you cannot receive high speed Internet services at your address, please register your broadband dead zone at: http://www.broadband.gov/qualitytest/deadzone/. If you have questions or want more information about Accelerate Virginia, please contact Jean Plymale, vplymale@vt.edu at (540) 231-2270.

Taken from Goochland County
October 2011

Award-winning Accelerate Virginia

Accelerate Virginia has won a Governor’s Technology Award for IT as Economic Development Driver. The award recognizes the innovative use of technology to promote economic development in the area served. This category seeks the most innovative strategies which leverage information technology to further economic development initiatives.

Secretary of Technology James Duffey, Seth Peery, Jarrod Rife, Jean Plymale, Patrick Fay, and Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth Sam Nixon

Photo by Charlie Reilly, VITA

AccelerateVirginia is a statewide initiative of eCorridors that seeks to engage and educate the public regarding broadband availability in Virginia. Targeted campaigns collect consumer Internet service details, and the electronic marketing campaign leverages GIS tools for collecting information volunteered from end users through an enhanced version of the eCorridors speed test application. See www.acceleratevirginia.org

eCorridors produces value-added mapping products and report generation tools. As an economic development tool, Accelerate Virginia can be used to assess availability, affordability, and quality of Internet services in regions and communities wishing to attract clean industry businesses, and the associated creative workforce.

The award was presented at COVITS on Sept. 26. Winners are posted on www.covits.org.

Taken from Virginia Tech - Office of the Vice President for Information Technology
October 2011

Bland urges residents to take part in Internet broadband speed test

BLAND, Va. — The Bland County administration is working with the eCorridors group of Virginia Tech to develop a broadband map of the county and help develop a greater understanding of the present broadband access in the county, while also providing county and regional officials with the data they need to bring more and better high-speed Internet access into the region.

“This is not just for Bland County,” Eric Workman, Bland County administrator said. “It’s for every county in Virginia. Bland County and the Bland County Wireless Authority are working with other counties in Virginia to determine the present level of broadband access in the area and work for improvements.

“Internet availability is important for every aspect of life from commerce, to paying bills, for entertainment and to communicate with family and friends,” Workman said. “Once we know where the needs are, we can lobby for improvements in service.”

Bland County is partnering with the eCorridor Virginia Tech program to distribute information about the “Accelerate Virginia speed test,” an online test that takes roughly two minutes to perform, but provides Tech with vital information about broadband availability. The online speed test measures overall quality and performance of Internet connections and provides data that can be compared to other speed tests in the area.

Workman said that Bland County residents who would like to participate in the speed test can visit http://acceleratevirginia.org/speedtest and take the speed test from their home computer. Accelerate Virginia also encourages business owners to take the speed test from their business locations.

“We’re asking everyone to spread the work and to encourage their families, neighbors and friends to take the speed test,” Workman said. “Accelerate Virginia’s goal is to collect 300 to 350 speed tests per county. If we get a good response in the county, we’ll get a better assessment of our broadband access.

“If you don’t have service at all, Accelerate Virginia wants to hear from you too,” Workman said. He said that if someone wants to register a broadband dead zone, they can go to a place with Internet access including the public library in Bland, the Learning Center in Mechanicsburg or any other of the county’s “hot spots,” and visit this site http://www.broadband.gov/qualitytest/deadzone/. “It’s very important for people to do that, so Accelerate Virginia knows where the dead zones are,” Workman said.

Because there are several factors that can influence the quality of the test, Workman said that speed test participants should consider taking the test several times on different days and at different times. “It only takes about two minutes to take the test,” he said.

Workman said that anyone who needs more information or wants to report a dead zone can contact Jean Plymale at vplymale@vt.edu or call her at 540-231-2270.

Taken from Bluefield Daily Telegraph
September 5, 2011
By Bill Archer

'Net test coming to MC

County officials seek help to map broadband access

Calling all Madison County residents with a computer and Internet access. Help the county breeze into the future and study Madison County’s high speed Internet access availability.

Madison County officials are urging residents to be part of a study that maps out broadband or high speed Internet access.

The Virginia Tech campaign called Accelerate Virginia rests on citizens’ input in volunteering to take a two-minute “speed test” on their computers. The speed test will determine how fast your computer’s connection is and what type of service you have.

Log on to www.acceleratevirginia.org and take a two-minute test. There is no date as to when you have to take the test by but the sooner the better, said officials.

Any type of computer, including those with a dial-up connection, will work for the test.

“One type of service that I don’t believe is included in the service is cell phone signals. What they want is for you to be working on is a computer coming through a telephone or cable line or some other access and not with an air card that you plug into the computer,” Madison County Administrator Lisa Robertson said at the supervisors workshop last week.

The data collected will help provide a look at Madison County’s broadband availability and any broadband “dead zones.” (Broadband is just another name for high speed Internet that can be clocked at a certain speed.)

“There will be a ready map available that shows people which regions have the greatest need or lack of broadband service,” Robertson said.

The research group at Virginia Tech called E-corridors has been in existence since 2000. The purpose of the group is to promote broadband accessibility across Virginia. They are going to map areas in Virginia that have broadband service, areas that don’t have service available and dead zones where no broadband service is available.

Robertson said this type of data they are collecting will be very helpful to the county.

“For instance, when a provider is asking for approval of permits for a new tower you will be able to look on a map and verify what their existing areas of coverage are or whether they will be serving areas that don’t have coverage and then you won’t have to rely exclusively on the information the provider gives you as part of those applications,” Robertson said.

Fauquier County and Stafford County have already started its campaign, Robertson told supervisors at the May 26 workshop.

County officials said they will put out flyers and information on their Web site about the program.

“If schools are willing, we could get flyers out in kids’ backpacks so families would know to take the speed test,” Robertson said.

Supervisor Dave Allen said they probably would need to get authorization from the schools to use their computers for the study.

If all else fails, Supervisor Dave Allen suggested to get a message out through the Reverse 911 system. This is when the emergency system will make a call of a pre-recorded message to every house in Madison County. Usually, it is reserved for emergency purposes.

Taken from Madison County Eagle
By Marilyn Cox | Eagle Reporter
Published: June 06, 2011

Stafford County Seeks Residents' Help in Mapping Local Broadband Access

Stafford County is starting a high-speed Internet mapping campaign using the Accelerate Virginia speed test. Residents are asked to take a speed test, which will help identify areas in the county in need of broadband availability.

The campaign’s goal is to get a minimum of 300-500 speed tests taken throughout the county. This data will help provide an accurate look at Stafford’s broadband availability as well as any broadband dead zones.

“Broadband has become a “utility,” similar to gas, electric, and telephone service, and not just a convenience,” said Chairman of the Stafford Board of Supervisors Mark Dudenhefer. “With our award-winning schools, campuses for Germanna Community College and the University of Mary Washington, diverse business base, and growing military presence, Stafford County needs community-wide broadband coverage so that our residents, students, and business owners can get connected to the Internet no matter where they are – home, work, or school.”

Getting countywide Broadband access has long been a goal of Stafford’s Telecommunications Commission, which is made up of seven volunteer citizens appointed to serve by the Board of Supervisors. "We hear from citizens all the time about the lack of broadband access in their neighborhoods," said Bob Thomas, Chairman of the Telecommunications Commission. "As more jobs move to the area, especially with BRAC and the businesses that will come here to support that effort, we are working toward ensuring that more Stafford residents and businesses can access the Internet from any location."

The Board of Supervisors appointed a subcommittee of Board members to work with the Telecommunications Commission on expanding broadband in Stafford. Vice Chairman Paul Milde, Aquia District, and Supervisor Gary Snellings, Hartwood District, are working with the Commission to build a business case for providers to expand their Internet access services to citizens, especially those who live along the western and eastern boundaries of Stafford, such as in Hartwood and the Marlborough Point areas.

To participate in this campaign, county residents, business owners, students, and others are asked to visit http://acceleratevirginia.org and take a two-minute speed test.

Upon completion of the test, users will see the results of their Internet connections, compared with the connection reports from residences, businesses, etc., that surround that location. Users are also being asked to encourage their friends and family to do the same.

For those who have little or no access to the Internet at their location, these individuals are encouraged to report their broadband dead zone by contacting Accelerate Virginia by phone (540) 231-2270 or email vplymale@vt.edu.

Individuals, local businesses, church groups, and other community organizations are being asked to help spread the word throughout the county by sharing the news via their own communication networks.

“Distributing flyers, making phone calls, sending emails, and sharing links on Facebook and Twitter are just a few easy ways that we can all be a part of something big that has a real impact on our future,” said Patrick Fay of Accelerate Virginia.

Additional tips and resources are available on the Accelerate Virginia website at http://acceleratevirginia.org.

By participating in this campaign and identifying areas in need of broadband, residents will help Stafford improve economic development as well as educational opportunities.

With increased telework availability, more county residents will be able to maintain jobs from their homes. New virtual businesses can start in the county and telework instead of rent office space.

Newcomers to Stafford will be looking for locations that offer access to high-speed Internet. As more and more county residents and business owners provide their connectivity data, the more likely these newcomers will be able to locate options for their new homes and businesses.

The data collected from the speed tests will be used to create a broadband market map that could be used for economic development. This map will provide entrepreneurs, businesses and others moving to and from Stafford County with the information needed to see where Internet access is offered. It will also allow Internet providers to explore new markets.

An additional benefit will be increased exposure to the Internet as a learning tool for students across the county and from all levels of learning, including workforce development, K-12, and higher education sectors.

Accelerate Virginia was launched in 2010 as an extension of the Virginia Tech eCorridors program and aims to measure the broadband availability of the entire state with help from local campaigns and counties such as Stafford.

All of the data collected from the Accelerate Virginia campaign will be used to help build the statewide broadband map, which in turn will identify areas in need of improvement, and ultimately provide faster and more affordable high-speed Internet for all of Virginia.

For more information about Accelerate Virginia or to report a dead zone, please contact Jean Plymale at Accelerate Virginia at vplymale@vt.edu at (540) 231-2270.

Taken from Stafford County Official Site
Posted April 22, 2011

Stafford Aims to ID Internet Dead Zones

Stafford County, Va. –– Where can you find the best internet access in Stafford County? Well, that’s what county officials want to know, and they’re asking internet users to help them find out.

Officials are beginning a high-speed Internet mapping campaign that will test broadband access in the county. A part of the Accelerate Virginia initiative, officials hope to get the results of at least 300 to 500 speed tests so they can determine the availability of broadband access in the county, as well identify any dead zones.

Taking the test is as simple as clinking on Accelerate Virginia’s website.

One of the recent test results from a user in Aquia showed poor results, while other areas in the county showed moderate speeds.

“Broadband has become a “utility,” similar to gas, electric, and telephone service, and not just a convenience,” said Chairman of the Stafford Board of Supervisors Mark Dudenhefer in a press release. “With our award-winning schools, campuses for Germanna Community College and the University of Mary Washington, diverse business base, and growing military presence, Stafford County needs community-wide broadband coverage so that our residents, students, and business owners can get connected to the Internet no matter where they are – home, work, or school.”

After taking the test, users will see a comparison of their Internet speeds and those of neighboring homes and businesses.

Officials have asked those who have already taken the test to use email and social networking services, like Twitter and Facebook, to encourage friends and family to take the test.

The results of the tests will be compiled and used to create a map depicting where the best spots for broadband access in the county are. That map will be used for economic development purposes, to give potential business owners information on where the best internet access in the county is, officials say.

Taken from Potomac Local News