A new online tool will let Saskatchewan residents test their internet speeds against what their internet contracts promise.
The test, a partnership between the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) and the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), gives the user detailed information about their download and upload speeds. Speeds that meet the CRTC’s service standards for Canadian internet are given a blue dot on the Saskatchewan map, while substandard internet is marked in red.
“Not only does it give us a really compelling picture of internet speed across the province,” said Jeremy Welter, chair of APAS’ Rural Connectivity Task Force, “but it also gives people an exact picture of their own internet. They can compare their speed to what their contract promises and let their service provider know if they’re not getting the speeds they’re paying for.”
APAS said it is calling on rural Saskatchewan residents living on farms, in towns and villages, and on First Nations, to complete the test. The data will help APAS understand actual internet service levels in the province and advocate for improvements.
People can take the internet speed test at apas.ca/speed-test.
The data collected will help establish a baseline for internet service levels in the province. APAS hopes the research will help ensure that the federal government’s enhanced Universal Broadband Fund supports projects in the areas that need it most.
“The investment in the Universal Broadband Fund is an important step, and our internet speed test is a great complement to it,” Welter said. “This speed test lets us put numbers to people’s experiences and see what internet service levels look like in specific areas around the province.”
