HONESDALE, Pa. — In a digital world, people are quick to note where they don't have good internet or cell phone service. Wayne County is no exception.
"Yeah, when you get north of Honesdale, it goes to very spotty or non-existent," said Michael Johnson of Honesdale.
But Wayne County commissioners say that map is far from accurate. They say it shows some areas have access to high-speed internet when they really don't. Now they need people in those areas to let the FCC know.
"The thing that concerns us a great deal and the reason why we want people to look at that map and challenge it if it's something that should be challenged is because funding is tied to that map, and if mistakenly that map says we're 100-percent covered, and we're not covered, we won't get the funding that we need as a rural area," said Wayne County Commissioner Brian Smith.
The Wayne County Public Library sees dozens of people come through its doors every week to use the computers or Wi-Fi for homework or other projects.
"Usually, it's that they don't have internet at home, or it tends to be slow. Upload/download speeds tend to be harder when you're not directly in Honesdale," said reference librarian Owen Adams.
The county has been working for years to bring more reliable internet access to homes and businesses in the county.
With the deadline to file a challenge drawing near, county leaders want their voices to be heard.
"Rural areas need businesses, need employment. We need to be attractive to those people who would like to live, work, and raise a family, and educate here," said Smith.
The FCC broadband access map isn't just for Wayne County; it covers the entire country. So no matter what county you live in, you can view the map to see if service is accurately represented.
The deadline to file a challenge is Friday. To file a challenge, search for an address on the access map. Then, you click on the map. Once, you click on the map, a window will pop up with GPS coordinates with the blue button labeled "Challenge Location." Click on that button to file a challenge.
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