We have been asked by Jason Judd, Executive Director of Educate Maine, and Christa Thorpe, Community Development Officer of the Island Institute, to forward the following information to you regarding the "Get Up To Speed" initiative. Please take the 1-minute test today to map out your own internet speed and watch the public map of Maine.
Please share this information with your school communities so as to enhance and expand the map where tests have been taken broadly throughout the state.
The Maine Broadband Coalition has launched a statewide internet speed test mapping initiative. The goal of the “Get Up To Speed” initiative is to gather data from across the state to generate the most comprehensive map of both the presence and quality of internet in Maine to date.
Residents are being asked to help the initiative by taking this less-than-a-minute test to map their own speed through the Maine Broadband Coalition’s website. We strongly encourage you to share this link with your community, so that we can get the most accurate map possible.
The Maine Broadband Coalition will aggregate, document, and visualize the speed testing information to provide users and state officials with up-to-date service maps. Participants can view their results (while personal information remains confidential) and watch the public map of Maine grow in real time.
A crucial next step The new speed testing initiative is the crucial next step in ensuring the delivery of broadband throughout the state and will help local, regional, and state leaders develop projects and steer investments to the places that need it most. This map, along with other data collected, will help inform where the bond funding, approved by Maine voters in July, can have the most impact.
Click here to read the Maine Broadband Coalition Press Release.
Our View: In 2021, Maine should work toward universal internet access 01.18.21 by Editorial Board
The Portland Press Herald Editorial Board argues that getting reliable broadband across Maine should be a priority for 2021, citing the Maine Broadband Coalition speed test initiative as one of the efforts to make that happen.
Broadband mapping money in Mills' budget hailed by business, development leaders 01.12.21 by Mainebiz Staff
An interactive map is helping to determine the state's broadband connectivity; Gov. Janet Mills has proposed $1.8 million in the state's supplemental budget to help the effort.
With Terrible Federal Broadband Data, States Are Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands 12.18.20 by Peggy Schaffer
Peggy Schaffer, executive director of ConnectMaine, discusses the importance of accurate broadband data collection, how current federal data falls short, and what states are doing to give power back to communities through crowdsourced speed testing.