City Implements BEAD Challenge Process To Ensure Internet Access

Posted on by Press Release

The City of Laramie is collecting data from community members on the quality, speed, and availability of broadband internet. The Broadband, Equity, Access & Deployment, or BEAD Program is an opportunity to ensure every member of our community has access to reliable, high-speed internet.

“It is important for people to have access to broadband, especially in rural areas like Wyoming. Access to reliable, high-speed internet ensures that everyone has the chance to be successful,” Says Brannen Moan, Management Analyst for the City of Laramie.

By implementing the BEAD Challenge Process, the city is taking proactive steps toward achieving this goal. The City of Laramie is working in collaboration with the Wyoming Business Council Broadband Office to address accessibility issues such as availability, speed, and latency. The first step is collecting information/challenges to understand where the deficits are. While anyone can provide a challenge, the City will be the only entity submitting the data to the State.

Citizens can submit a challenge if it falls into one of the following categories:

Availability Challenge:

  • If an Internet Service Provider (ISP) claims to offer service in an area but fails to do so, including in multiple dwelling units (MDUs), it can be challenged.
  • Evidence for this challenge includes screenshots of provider webpages, records of service request refusals within the last 180 days (about 6 months), lack of suitable infrastructure, evidence of non-compliance with installation timelines, or excessive fees for connection.

Speed Challenge:

  • A location can be challenged if the median speed from three-speed tests does not meet the threshold of 100 Mbps download or 20 Mbps upload.
  • Permissible speed test sites include Ookla, M-lab, Cloudflare, and Fast.com.
  • Supporting documentation must include the time/day of each test, provider-assigned IP addresses, customer information, and certification of the subscribed speed tier.

Latency Challenge:

  • Evidence for this challenge includes latency in speed tests exceeding 100ms round-trip, as indicated by Ookla speed tests.

If you would like to submit your speed tests, please do so by visiting www.cityoflaramie.org/1454. For more information, email broadband@cityoflaramie.org or call 307.721.5362.

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