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HARDWARE-BASED

BROADBAND TESTING
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

Complete the Eligibility Survey

Are you getting the Internet speeds you're paying for?

If you are 18 years of age or older, you may be eligible to participate in a research study on Internet performance conducted by the Internet Equity Initiative at the University of Chicago (University of Chicago, 2022), Michigan State University, and Merit Network. 

Participants will receive:

  • Up to $150 for full participation
  • Detailed information about your home Internet performance

Does the Internet perform equally well across all neighborhoods in the eastern Upper Peninsula?

The ability of people to connect to high-speed, affordable Internet is often dependent on where they live. But data is needed to illustrate where access is low. Existing data used by governments and companies does not offer good coverage of our communities. By participating in this study, residents and community anchors can improve our understanding of Internet performance and connectivity in their neighborhoods, and ensure their experiences are represented in decision-making and resource investments to improve Internet equity. 

Figure 1. Netrics dashboard and examples of Netrics measurements and visualizations.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STUDY?

The Infrastructure Investment Validation + User Experience: Hardware-based Broadband Testing Pilot Study is a research project that measures the performance of home and community anchor Internet connections to better understand Internet performance across the eastern UP. 

Volunteers will complete a survey and install an Internet measurement device in their home to measure their Internet performance. Your privacy is important to us; we will not collect information on what you view on the Internet. Participation will last 6 months, with an option to extend. 

Internet access is crucial for work, education, and entertainment, but like many resources, not everyone has the same access or the same quality of connection. We need better data to guide investment in communities. By participating in this study, you can provide support for a proof of concept to bridge the digital divide in the Upper Peninsula. 

Video and step-by-step instructions are provided here.

If you are 18 years of age or older, you may be eligible to participate in a research study on Internet performance. We are currently seeking volunteers from the EUP.

DATA PRIVACY

Data from the project will be securely stored at servers / infrastructure only accessible to Merit Network researchers and other select members of this research coalition. The collected data will be maintained and managed by full-time technical support staff. We encrypt information as it is transmitted to our servers. Only researchers working on our study will have access to the data. Users’ personally identifiable information will be de-identified and kept separate from the other data collected during the study. Any directly collected non-public data under possession by Merit will be kept at Merit’s discretion to enable future research studies. User study data will only be released in anonymized or aggregated forms as part of results in publications. Merit may retain and use, in connection with its nonprofit mission, data generated in connection with this research. Oversight of privacy and security controls surrounding this data will be performed by appropriate data and privacy committees at Merit and would include oversight from Merit’s Chief Information Security Office. All collected data will remain under the ownership of Merit.

CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE

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