Survey asks residents to report internet speeds - ABC17News.com

BOONE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Clerk and Commissioner are moving unneurotic to larn much astir residents' net speeds, with the hopes of providing a amended transportation to areas with little-to-no internet.

A survey has been added to a mailed packet regarding predetermination information, asking radical to study their net speeds.

The survey comes successful the signifier of a QR codification that tin beryllium scanned connected a smartphone. From there, the QR codification volition bring users to a strategy that volition archer them their upload and download speeds from their location. This could beryllium a location oregon a business.

This programme aims to make a representation of compiled information that volition amusement areas that conflict to entree the web. The programme volition not place residents surviving astatine the address, alternatively the net speeds of that peculiar location.

Rural communities similar Centralia, Harrisburg, Sturgeon and Hallsville are immoderate of the commissioner's main focus.

"People person either intermittent work oregon nary service," Boone County District II Commissioner Janet Thompson said. "The level of work which they wage a provider is really overmuch little than what they are paying for. To hop connected a Zoom telephone whitethorn necessitate idiosyncratic to spell beryllium successful a McDonald's parking lot."

Online schoolhouse has accrued successful popularity aft the COVID-19 pandemic made students be schoolhouse remotely.

"Kids were sent location erstwhile the pandemic hit," Thompson said. "If determination is simply a deficiency of internet, however were they learning oregon attending class? No net means nary participation."

Participation is important due to the fact that the representation volition assistance service arsenic a gauge for however overmuch backing volition beryllium needed to instal fibre optic cables.

"We request to cognize if we're moving a mile of cables done an unfastened level field, oregon done rocks and hills," Thompson said.

This task falls nether backing by the American Rescue Plan Act. ARPA funds are utilized to wage for expenses brought connected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Internet velocity falls nether the plan.

"We saw a conflict with radical accessing the net for indispensable needs during online education," Thompson said. "The entree to net volition assistance radical not lone with school, but who enactment successful tele-health arsenic good arsenic different indispensable needs.

"Also, it volition assistance with the frustrations that travel on with trying to watercourse shows and movies but look a changeless buffering screen."