Manchester area residents asked to take broadband survey to correct inaccurate FCC map

Paper surveys were mailed out last week to households in fifteen rural Washtenaw County Townships including Manchester, Freedom, Sharon and Bridgewater.

Manchester area residents living in Manchester, Freedom, Sharon and Bridgewater Townships are being asked to help the Washtenaw County Broadband Taskforce better map broadband coverage by completing a short survey.

The county studied broadband coverage for more than a year and at the end of 2018 released their findings which concluded that 18% of Manchester Township residents lacked access to broadband (defined as at least 25 megabit per sec download speed and 3 megabit per sec upload) and that 100% of Freedom, Sharon and Bridgewater Township residents lacked access to broadband. The report also found that 69.5% of households in the Manchester School District lacked access to broadband.

The current Federal Communication Commission (FFC) broadband coverage map (also using data from the end of 2018) inaccurately shows everywhere in the Manchester area 100% covered by at least two broadband providers. See map here: https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/. Sharon Township resident and Washtenaw County Broadband Taskforce chair Barb Fuller explained the necessity of correcting the inaccuracy.

"In preparation for future grant opportunities, the Washtenaw County Broadband Equity Task Force is collecting and mapping coverage data to refute the inaccuracy of the FCC's claims," Fuller said. "Fifteen townships - known to be under or un-served - were selected to quantify and map the lack of broadband access in rural Washtenaw County.”

The Manchester area makes up four of the fifteen rural townships selected. Residents should have received a paper survey in the mail the week last week. Each survey will be printed with a unique property tax ID. Residents without broadband access at home are asked to complete the paper survey and return it via mail. Residents with broadband access at home (as instructed by the mailer) should complete the survey and speed test online at http://survey.washtenawbroadband.org. To the those completing the online survey, Fuller stated, “People are reminded to complete the survey and speed test on a computer at home. Don't use a cell phone!”

The Taskforce states that it will not collect or share names, phone numbers, or email addresses of residents and while survey responses linking broadband coverage to property addresses may be shared with third parties for the purposes of seeking broadband funding, Washtenaw County will never sell private information to third parties.

The Washtenaw County Broadband Task Force was convened by the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners to explore countywide broadband equity via collaboration with local townships, to explore grant opportunities that would result in countywide broadband equity. The Washtenaw County Broadband Taskforce includes Manchester area residents Barb Fuller, Commissioner Shannon Beeman, Don Stein, Valisa Bristle, Lisa Moutinho, and Peter Psarouthakis.

For more information visit WashtenawBroadband.org.

Left side: Washtenaw County Broadband Subcommittee Report map (as of 2018) showing no broadband access for most of the Manchester area. Right side: FCC map (as of 2018) showing multiple broadband providers for all of the Manchester Area

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.