28% of Minnesota residents still do not have broadband at home
ST. PAUL, MN – Today, Connect Minnesota released new residential broadband adoption survey results revealing the top trends in technology use among key demographics in Minnesota. The preliminary indicators from the survey are available online, which gives a comprehensive view of the challenges and opportunities for expanding broadband in targeted sectors. According to the survey, approximately 28% of the population still does not subscribe to broadband. Most notably, the majority of low-income, senior, disabled adult, and Hispanic households are without broadband at home, leaving them facing an uphill battle in keeping up with essential online resources, job and educational opportunities, and social services.
“Connect Minnesota’s mapping data show that Minnesota providers have done a good job in making broadband available across the state; this survey research shows that we still need to increase adoption rates to ensure the economic and societal benefits of broadband are realized across all communities,” said William Hoffman, state program manager for Connect Minnesota.
This survey is conducted in support of Connect Minnesota’s efforts to close Minnesota’s digital gap. The survey explores the main barriers to adoption – cost, digital skills, and relevance – and also provides unique insights into the national broadband landscape.
The survey reveals that:
• 39% of Minnesotans living in rural areas do not subscribe to broadband service at home.
• When comparing to the 72% of all households that do subscribe, there remain large gaps among key demographics:
o 53% of low-income households;
o 51% of Hispanic households; and
o 68% of seniors are without broadband.
• 54% of low-income households with children are without access to this essential tool at home.
• The biggest gap is among low-income seniors. Only 21% of low-income seniors subscribe to broadband and only 32% have a computer at home.
• The largest barrier to non-adopters is relevance - 29% of non-adopters say there isn’t Internet content worth viewing. The second most commonly cited barrier is that it is too expensive.
• The number one reason Minnesotans say they started using broadband is because they needed it for business.
These results and comparisons to many others are available on Connect Minnesota’s new consumer trends widget. This interactive tool gives people the ability to view, share, and download the results. Connect Minnesota will use these survey results to target solutions in communities based on the demographic and economic barriers that the surveys indicate are most relevant to those communities.
This release comes on the heels of the FCC’s newly released plans to launch a comprehensive public-private initiative called Connect to Compete, aimed at extending digital literacy training and providing employment assistance to communities. Connect Minnesota’s parent organization, Connected Nation, is one of the top strategic advisors in the national initiative.
Connect Minnesota’s 2011 residential survey was conducted in the summer of 2011 and includes responses from 3,100 residents. The survey was conducted as part of the State Broadband Initiative (SBI) grant program, funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and by the American Recovery and Reinvestment of 2009.
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