WALLACE – In most areas, there are enough broadband connections to keep the system running without a major malfunction, but in the Silver Valley, that’s not the case, Shoshone County grant administrator Colleen Rosson pointed out Monday during a phone interview.

“It’s currently coming in from the west and we need to come in from the east as well. If you have that redundancy, you just flip a switch and it comes from the other direction,” Rosson said.

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD) testing began officially Monday morning and Shoshone County is participating to advocate for better internet for the approximately 7,000 locations where internet access should be possible in the Valley.

Through June 30, the BEAD challenge process is gathering speed test data from current internet subscribers. Residents experiencing download speeds below 100 megabits or uploads below 20 megabits qualify, as do those denied service within six months despite being located in designated serviceable areas.

Speed testing for those currently with internet service is part of the BEAD to determine who has limited access if you have a non-satellite service that is at least 100 megabits upload by 20 megabits download and do not experience those speeds or can get internet service, but it will take more than 10 days to hook it up or had more than the standard internet hook fee required. 

All of the information collected in speed testing is protected and only internet speed information will be shared to redraw the FCC map of underserved or unserved areas which should be internet hubs.

“That’ll move the dial a lot to prove things aren’t the way they look on paper,” Rosson said.

If people have been denied internet access in those areas in the last 6 months, they can provide a printed screenshot of the provider's response to Rosson as proof. 

To connect to information about BEAD challenge testing, email Colleen Rosson at [email protected]. 

Participants with service will receive a link with reminders to perform three tests, 24 hours apart per location to ascertain if the internet capacity matches data the Idaho Office of Broadband has mapped for the area.