Do you live in Sheffield and have poor or spotty internet service? The state wants to know | South Berkshires

SHEFFIELD — Do you have a weak or spotty Internet connection? The state wants to know.

The city is asking all Sheffield residents and small business owners to take part in the state survey on Broadband Access and Deployment – ​​or ‘BEAD’. The statewide “BEAD Challenge” is intended to help the state identify where Internet service is slower than 100 megabits per second for downloads and slower than 20 Mbps for uploads.

Or, where the service is “reported as available but not”.

For years, the city’s internet speeds have been inconsistent. Amid complaints from residents, the city worked to fix the problem and, in 2022, even considered the feasibility of building its own fiber-optic broadband system.

The city sent and posted a notice with a link to step-by-step instructions on how to test their speeds and take part, saying: “It’s important to document all locations in Sheffield, so take the Challenge to help collect data on availability. and quality of internet service.”

The effort began on June 20 and will continue until July 20.

The data will identify areas of the city that have no or poor service and help the city obtain state or federal money to improve speeds, the city’s notice said.

Rene Wood, a former longtime member of the Select Board and now the liaison for the initiative, is available to answer questions or help residents complete the challenge, she said in a letter to the editor sent to The Eagle .

“After years of complaining about our internet speeds and/or for some, the inability to get internet due to a high setup fee, it’s time to act,” Wood wrote.

Wood said the test will help residents find out if they’re getting the speeds they’re paying for from telecom companies.

“Also,” Wood wrote, “if you couldn’t afford the internet setup fee, there is a way to appeal it.”

The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Wood noted, can also help residents file such a challenge.