Manager’s Message – May 2023
Internet Speed Test: We Need Your Help
Dear Member,
Just as electric cooperatives help ensure reliable, affordable electricity is available to all, efforts are underway to ensure highspeed internet access is equally ubiquitous and affordable.
Oregon’s rural communities have an unprecedented opportunity to benefit from the state’s allocation of forthcoming federal broadband infrastructure funding—potentially as much as $700 million.
The Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association— comprised of Oregon’s 18 electric cooperatives, including Wasco Electric Cooperative— is partnering with Faster Internet Oregon to help ensure the funding needed to improve broadband infrastructure and services goes to the communities that need it most.
To do so, it is necessary to gain a clear picture of current broadband services across the state. We must make that data available to funding decision-makers and equip entities across your communities with that data to pursue grant funding for their infrastructure projects.
Faster Internet Oregon is a statewide home internet speed test and availability mapping initiative gathering real internet availability and speed data. This information is critical to assessing the need in rural areas of the state, including Wasco and Sherman counties, where service is more likely to be limited. These communities would benefit from faster, more affordable connectivity to support digital education, telehealth, job training and economic development.
The amount of funding to Oregon is directly related to the accuracy of Oregon’s map.
Please take the speed test. The availability survey and internet speed test take less than a minute to complete. They are a fast, easy way to support the development of high-speed connectivity for our communities.
Visit the Faster Internet Oregon website to take the speed test or report that you do not have internet access at your home or business. You can also view the map with data collected thus far.
Thank you,
General Manager Ned Ratterman