LAKE COUNTY – Starting later this month, a survey will take place that looks at the high speed Internet services offered in Lake and neighboring counties.

The Center for Economic Development (CED), California State University, Chico Research Foundation, will conduct a telephone survey to households and businesses in Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Sutter and Yuba counties.

The survey will be utilized to identify areas throughout the region that are served, underserved or unserved by high speed Internet service.

Economic development and education administrators, Internet service providers (ISPs), local government leaders and other business professionals will be able to utilize the information to make decisions about the services they provide to those in the upstate region of California.

High speed Internet is a critical component of economic, education and business development.

This project is funded by the California Emerging Technology Fund, which was established and funded by the SBC-AT&T and Verizon-MCI merger agreements approved by the California Public Utilities Commission in November 2005.

The fund focuses on “achieving ever-present access to broadband and advanced services in California, particularly in underserved communities through the use of existing and emerging technologies.”

CED has contracted with the Program for Applied Research and Evaluation at the CSU Chico Research Foundation to conduct the telephone survey. All individual answers will be kept strictly confidential.

The survey will continue through the summer with the goal of obtaining complete surveys for 1,200 households and 400 businesses.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Don Krysakowski, assistant director at the CED, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 530-898-4598.