Augusta, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Millions of people across the United States continue to be hampered by slow Internet speeds.
That doesn’t mean you can’t stream Netflix without lag or quickly uploading photos to Facebook. It means not being able to find online doctors.
The problem has become more pronounced in the past year as people have been forced to work from home and children have been forced to attend school due to computer connectivity.
Combine that with more gadgets connected to home WiFi and streaming movies and TV shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and other services.
And gamers who spend a lot of time playing with others over an internet connection. FCC says high-speed broadband isn’t a good thing anymore; It is a must.
Without high-speed Internet, many rural Americans have no access to online health care and no hospitals nearby. People like farmers and soldiers on Medicaid struggle to get funding.
The FCC faces a challenge in identifying areas with low-speed or zero Internet connectivity.
This is where you can help by using an app from the FCC. The FCC is asking Americans to download the “Speed Test” smartphone app to test their internet speed and report it to the commission.
Apps can be found in the Apple and Google app stores for iPhones, iPads, and Android devices.
Once the app is downloaded, you will be asked to allow it to see your location. This is important for FCC broadband mapping to see where the slowest speeds are.
The speed test sends and receives data using the network your phone is connected to, so make sure you’re on your main WiFi connection and close to your router before running.
We also recommend disconnecting from WiFi and running the test again, which will test your mobile provider’s network speed. If there are areas you know have slow connections, run the test there as well. The FCC has added a page to its website where people can report problems or concerns with their connections.
The commission said more accurate maps would allow broadband funding programs to target support for services in areas with the greatest need.
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