The Columbia Shuswap Regional District is part of the region where broadband connectivity is being tested in order to identify areas where it needs improvement. (CSRD Image)

The Columbia Shuswap Regional District is part of the region where broadband connectivity is being tested in order to identify areas where it needs improvement. (CSRD Image)

Internet speed testing implemented in the CSRD

Test results will be tracked to find areas where improvement is needed.

  • Sep. 22, 2019 12:00 a.m.

Do you know how fast your internet really is?

The Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) has joined a project measuring internet connection speeds across the entire Columbia Basin and wants the public to help out by testing their connection through an online portal.

The online test is available to all CSRD residents both in municipalities and in the rural electoral areas.

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“The Regional Broadband Committee has been working to get a better understanding of current broadband services and to advocate for high-speed internet for residents and businesses within the Columbia Basin and Boundary regions,” said Regional Broadband Committee Chair Rob Gay.

“This online portal will provide us with specific data and give us a much clearer picture of the true state of our current connectivity.”

The test displays upload and download speed as well as ping, a measurement of a device’s connectivity to other device’s through the internet. Along with providing helpful information for the resident testing the state of their internet connection, the test will provide the broadband committee with valuable data on the state of internet connectivity in the area. According to a statement from the CSRD, the tests can help the broadband committee prioritize areas in need and determine eligibility for Federal and Provincial grants aimed at improving connectivity.

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The committee is hoping to see plenty of CSRD residents take the test.

The online portal can be accessed online. Participants only need to provide their location and hit start, the test takes two minutes to run.

The broadband committee is made up of elected officials from the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, Ktunaxa Nation Council, Regional District of Central Kootenay, Regional District of East Kootenay, Regional District of Kootenay Boundary and Village of Valemount. Broadband testing is active in all of these areas.


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