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HNCEA Broadband Survey Announcement

The Huron North Community Economic Alliance (HNCEA) needs your help. The HNCEA is a regional not-for-profit corporation supporting economic development initiatives along the north shore of Lake Huron. THE HNCEA has created a Broadband Task Group (BTG) to pursue the needs, voids and gaps regarding internet in our region. We need to have as many people as possible, in all our communities, to complete the survey. There are 2 options. One is a paper survey to be completed if a person or household does not have internet or very poor internet. The other survey that can be done online – it demonstrates connectivity. Both formats collect data information on the voids and gaps in the area.

To ensure that the reality of Internet services are known, we have partnered with Blue Sky Net and we’re asking you to participate by running speed tests at :

www.connectednorth.ca/community-broadband-action

You will receive real-time results when running the speed test. Blue Sky Net will receive a tabular report of the test results too. We will use the results to populate a database of the area’s overall internet performance.

1.    If you have poor or no internet and you cannot complete the online connectivity test, please complete the attached broadband survey.  In the highlighted areas, please enter your community name.  We have asked that local town and band offices, and libraries collect the forms to then forward to the HNCEA; or you can scan and email to John at jprgomet@ssmic.com or mail it to

John Progmet
Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre
99 Foster Drive, Level 6
Sault Ste. Marie, ON   P6A 5X6

2.    The other data collection option is to do the Connection Speed Test.  http://www.connectednorth.ca/#speedtestlink

The test must be done at a desktop or laptop computer using your home or office internet.  Do not do it on a mobile phone.  When you are about to start the test, please fill in the type of service that you have from the drop-down menu.  Please identify if you are using a ‘mobile broadband’ or ‘hub’, ie cellular, or fixed, or satellite, etc…   All the information will be relevant because it might show that even with your present broadband the service is slow.

The Federal Government has set a target for 90% of Canadians to receive an Internet connection of 50 Mbps down and 10 Mbps Up by 2021. There will soon be several funding opportunities to assist Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in upgrading their networks to deliver these services to Canadians who don’t currently have this level of access.  We know that within our community very few people enjoy that level of connectivity.

Please share the data collections surveys with as many residents as possible.  Share with neighbours, friends, coworkers…

Please complete and forward the survey by Friday the 15th.  Blue Sky Network and the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre will be tabulating all the data from the surveys.

Thank you for your assistance.

The HNCEA, Broadband Task Group

Please click HERE to open a pdf copy of this announcement

Please click HERE to download the survey.