Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman on Thursday announced the launch of Kentucky Broadband Speed Test, a project that will gather data needed to expand internet home access for distance learning, telework and telehealth.
The free, anonymous speed test can be accessed through Feb. 18, and it takes about 30 seconds complete by clicking here.
“There is a digital divide in households across Kentucky, especially in rural areas, that has become even more apparent during the pandemic when so many people need it to attend school, go to work, get government services and conduct personal business from home,” Coleman said. “As an educator, I am especially concerned about the 13,000, or 2%, of Kentucky students who lack internet access at home so they are basically cut off from their teachers and classrooms. We have to do better by them.”
To participate, the device must be connected to a person’s home Wi-Fi service and disconnected from a virtual private network (VPN) that may be connected to a workplace or school. For the most accurate results, ensure that no one else connected to the home internet is using a substantial portion of the internet bandwidth for activities such as streaming video or gaming during the test.
Those without home Wi-Fi access can visit their local library or other locations such as stores or restaurants that offer free internet to submit the address of a home with no available service.
“In addition to finding out their own upload and download speeds, Kentuckians who participate in the speed test will help detect slow spots around the state and where Wi-Fi access and affordability are lacking. The speed test can be done from any device connected to the Wi-Fi signal in your home,” according to a state news release.
“We need as many Kentuckians as possible to take this internet speed test, to get an accurate picture of who has adequate internet access across the state,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “The more speed tests taken, the better understanding we will have of our state’s internet capabilities, and the better prepared we will be to repair and expand it.”
Beshear noted that the budget proposal he made to the General Assembly contains $50 million dedicated to the “last mile of broadband to areas in need.”
This investment would be the first time state money funded an expansion of broadband, officials said in a release.
The Beshear-Coleman Administration first dedicated $8 million in CARES Act funding to broadband expansion in August 2020. Since then, Kentucky has reduced the number of students without internet access from 35,000 to 13,000.
Kentucky is partnering with geospatial engineering firm GEO Partners LLC, as well as The Center for Rural Development, to obtain actionable data.
