The Range Association of Municipalities and Schools (RAMS) will be the new host of the Minnesota statewide speed test project.  This crowdsourcing speed test will allow local governments, area partners, communities, and providers to better identify underserved and unserved areas as well as help consumers see for themselves if they are actually getting the service (broadband speed) that they are paying for.  

This is important because $100 million dollars is allocated to Minnesota to improve broadband, as part of the infrastructure bill, according to Ida Rukavina, Executive Director of RAMS.

"When the money comes down, the FCC has maps they utilize to show what areas are served or underserved. And some people may not be getting the service they're promised. This is important information we an use to plan for future broadband projects. It's crucial now we have accurate information, so when funding comes down, it's not too late," she said.

RAMS is able to host this test with the help of one of our Corporate members, GEO Partners, LLC who will be helping analyze the data and create usable maps and information.

Recently retired director of RAMS, Steve Giorgi, has remained on Minnesota’s state broadband task force and is continuing to volunteer and help Minnesota communities gain access to affordable, high-speed internet. This testing process started in April of 2020 and the information gathered directly from the end users (you) will be used extremely important to further the development of high speed internet for the citizens of Minnesota.

Residents are encouraged to “TAKE THE TEST” on the RAMS Broadband website at:  https://broadband.ramsmn.org/

To see the original post and read related stories, follow this link to the WDIO-TV website. https://www.wdio.com/news/broadband-speed-test-rams-internet-service/6296831/