The Georgia Broadband Deployment Initiative (GBDI) is launching the Speedtest® by Ookla® Pilot project, statewide through August. The goal of the project is to equip school leaders with the clearest picture possible of internet connectivity for Georgia’s students and teachers for the upcoming school year.

“We’re grateful that so many internet service providers and mobile phone carriers have stepped up to meet Georgians’ connectivity needs in this critical time as we’re coping with the continued impacts of COVID-19,” said Governor Kemp. “Still, too many households don’t have reliable internet connections, so the Georgia Broadband Deployment Initiative is introducing the Speedtest project to give Georgia’s educational leaders new data to drive decisions for remote learning options for students.”

Georgians are encouraged to download the free Ookla Speedtest app (Android or iOS-Apple) to the various devices they use to connect to the internet (phones, laptops and computers), and then to take several tests in the places where connectivity is important to them. This will give an individual the ability to accurately see if they are getting the internet speed they need. The easy-to-use Speedtest, along with the information available at the Broadband Initiative website will most importantly assist school leaders planning for their digital learning strategies.

Four Georgia counties (Baker, Clayton, Dougherty and Gordon) have been chosen for a more thorough pilot assessment which will enable county education leaders in those areas to more effectively determine distance learning options in the long term beyond this school year. The State chose the four pilot counties based on geographic diversity (north/south, urban/rural), digital education plans, and public health metrics related to COVID-19 impacts.

The GBDI, led by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the Georgia Technology Authority, has assembled a multiagency team who are all working toward the goal of stronger connectivity options statewide. The Georgia Department of Education, Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, University System of Georgia, Georgia State Properties Commission, and Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency are all part of this multiagency team.

The message each of these agencies will be distributing across the state through Aug. 31:
Is your home internet too slow?
Do you lose a cellphone signal when you are walking around your house?
Can you get videos on your smartphone, but it takes three hours to download?
Then WE NEED YOU! Take a Speedtest and help us build a more connected Georgia!

SPEEDTEST DIRECTIONS (data rates may apply)

For mobile devices, download the Speedtest app:
     - Android  Once installed on your device, open and click “GO” (you can also turn on the “Speedtest” function in your “Settings” if you are using an Android device.
     - iOS (Apple)  Once installed on your device, open and click “GO”

For laptops and computers – connected to your home or business internet service:
     - Go to https://www.speedtest.net/ and click “GO”

 

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About the Georgia Broadband Initiative
Broadband has become essential to business, education, health care, agriculture and overall quality of life. Unfortunately, high-speed internet access remains out of reach for Georgians in many rural communities. In 2018, the state launched the Georgia Broadband Deployment Initiative (GBDI).  The initiative calls for the promotion and deployment of broadband services throughout the state to unserved areas with a minimum of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds, to increase economic, education, and social opportunities for Georgia citizens and businesses.

About Ookla®
Ookla is the global leader in mobile and broadband network intelligence, testing applications and technology. With over 10 million consumer-initiated tests taken daily on the company’s flagship platform, Speedtest®, Ookla provides invaluable insight into the performance, quality and accessibility of networks worldwide. Operators, businesses, and government agencies alike rely on Ookla for unparalleled and immediate information on the state of networks and online services.