Pittsfield Announces Internet Speed Test Day

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Earlier this year, the City of Pittsfield was selected to participate in the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program launched by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI).
 
As a part of the digital equity planning effort, the city is seeking to gain insight into any internet disparities within the community and if residents are experiencing widespread problems with their internet connections through an internet speed test.
 
On Wednesday, Nov. 1,  community members are asked to join the Speed Test Day. To participate, visit: https://www.cityofpittsfield.org/speedtest/ on the device you use to connect to the internet.
 
Following completion of the speed test, please send us your results using the form on the city's website. The city will use this information to better understand and identify the challenges residents may experience when connecting to the internet. The feedback received by residents will be included as part of the city's Digital Equity Plan. An internet speed test is a great tool to identify if there is a problem with internet speed. 
 
However, more work must be done if a problem is discovered as many things can affect internet speed. Often the Internet Service Provider (ISP) is not the cause of the problem but can help identify a solution.
 
Poor performance can affect a user's experience on the internet, at times making it impossible to do things like participate in online classrooms or attend a telehealth appointment.
 
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BRPC Committee Mulls Input on State Housing Plan

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's Regional Issues Committee brainstormed representation for the county in upcoming housing listening sessions.

"The administration is coming up with what they like to tout is their first housing plan that's been done for Massachusetts, and this is one of a number of various initiatives that they've done over the last several months," Executive Director Thomas Matuszko said.

"But it seems like they are intent upon doing something and taking comments from the different regions across the state and then turning that into policy so here is our chance to really speak up on that."

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and members of the Housing Advisory Council will host multiple listening sessions around the Commonwealth to hear input on the Healey-Driscoll administration's five-year strategic statewide housing plan.

One will be held at Berkshire Community College on May 15 at 2 p.m.

One of Matuszko's biggest concerns is the overall age of the housing stock in Berkshire County.

"And that the various rehab programs that are out there are inadequate and they are too cumbersome to manipulate through," he explained.

"And so I think that there needs to be a greater emphasis not on new housing development only but housing retention and how we can do that in a meaningful way. It's going to be pretty important."

Non-commission member Andrew Groff, Williamstown's community developer director, added that the bureaucracies need to coordinate themselves and "stop creating well-intended policies like the new energy code that actually work against all of this other stuff."

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