Broadband Survey Results for NE Economic Developers Association

1. Initial and Supplemental Proposals awarded to Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) from the
U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
NTIC, UNL, DED and the AIM Institute are cooperatively leading the broadband planning efforts.

2. Let's Talk About Broadband - How Can We
Leverage Broadband to Increase Growth?
2012 NEDA Fall Conference
Presented by Becky Vogt and Charlotte Narjes
UNL Center for Applied Innovation

3. About the Nebraska Broadband Initiative
Broadband is a foundation for economic growth, job
creation, global competitiveness and
a better way of life.
broadband.nebraska.gov

4. Goals of this initiative include:
 Increase adoption and utilization of broadband
 Develop regional broadband plans
 Increase understanding of importance of broadband
as a foundation of economic growth

5. NEDA Broadband Survey
 Insight - how membership is using technology
 Identify barriers in adopting broadband
 Help identify educational opportunities to better
utilize
 Establish benchmarks

6. NEDA Broadband Survey
 Online survey distributed to 333 members via listserv
 76 responses (23% response rate)
 Types of organizations responding:
 68% - city/county/regional economic development
company/organization
 33% - service providers

7. Population of Area Served
 7% under 1,000
 9% between 1,000 and 2,499
 14% between 2,500 and 4,999
 18% between 5,000 and 9,999
 14% between 10,000 and 19,999
 21% between 20,000 and 99,999
 18% 100,000 or more

8. Type of Area Served
 38% city, town or village
 33% county
 14% region
 9% state
 3% multi-state region
 3% other

9. TECHNOLOGY USE

10. Items on Website
Videos about community or area 63
38
11
ED programs/incentives 89
14
Available buildings/sites 86
10
Local education institutions 90
Housing information 100
19
Available Internet service providers 81
7
Info for new residents 93
0 20 40 60 80 100
Anticipate Adding Currently Have

11. Videos on Website by Population Served
10,000 or more 10 90
2,500 - 9,999 57 43
Under 2,500 50 50
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Currently have Anticipate adding

12. Satisfaction with Website
Very dissatisfied 16
Somewhat dissatisfied 13
Neither 7
Somewhat satisfied 30
Very satisfied 32
N/A 3
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

13. Comments about Website
 Needs Improvement (38.2%)
 Resources available (20.6%)
 Challenge maintaining (16.2%)
 Content (14.7%)
 Adequate, good (30%)
 Weak (70%)
 Friendliness of Website
(22.1%)
 User-friendly (53.3%)
 Not user-friendly (46.7%)

14. Comments about Website
It has most of the information.
Our pitfall is maintaining the site.
Easy to maneuver. Feel it has an attractive look.
Good information.
Just had it revamped and not up to our standards.
Difficult time finding a web developer.
No pictures, not user friendly…we are in the process of a
complete overhaul

15. Social Media Tools Used
Not sure 1
LinkedIn 48
Blogs 11
YouTube 27
Twitter 27
Facebook 75
None 16
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

16. Confidence in Using Social Media Effectively
Don't Very
know/NA effectively
9% 10%
Not at all
effectively Somewhat
41% effectively
40%

17. Satisfaction with Internet Connection Speeds
Upload speeds
 68% fast enough
 22% average, but not quite fast enough
 56% of economic developers vs. 83% of service
providers indicated fast enough
Download speeds
 65% fast enough
 25% average, but not quite fast enough

18. PERCEPTIONS OF TECHNOLOGY IN
COMMUNITY OR AREA

19. Economic Development Plan Currently or
Will Be Incorporating Broadband
 28% of economic development organizations
 11% serving population of 2,500 or less
 36% serving population between 2,500 and 9,999
 25% serving population of 10,000 or more

20. Perceived Effectiveness of Broadband
Utilization in Locale
Reducing costs of govt 30
0 11
operations 19
58
Increasing quality of life 23
22
41
Providing educational 71
33
opportunities 22
53
48
Attracting businesses 33
22
38
0 20 40 60 80
Serve pop. 10,000 or more Serve pop. between 2,500 and 9,999
Serve pop. under 2,500 All members

21. Belief that Access to High-Speed Internet
Services is Accomplishing Various Items
 Staying in touch with family/friends (92%)
 Accessing financial services (83%)
 Reaching higher education levels (76%)
 Getting health information (64%)
 Community and emergency alerts (61%)
 Improving job skills/professional development (60%)
 Finding a better job (60%)
 Starting a home-based business (51%)
 Transitioning to a new industry or profession (45%)

22. Perceived Adequacy of Internet Services
28 44
Future generations 11 27
Attracting new residents 11 35 41
37
Businesses in community 11 39 44
41
33 48
Households in… 11 52
Your organization 22 50 52
63
0 20 40 60 80
% answering very adequate
Serve pop. 10,000 or more
Serve pop. Between 2,500 and 9,999
Serve pop. Under 2,500
All members

23. Familiarity with Internet Service Needs
16
Younger population 22 40
9
New employees 17 40
14
Teleworkers 19 33
21
Businesses trying to recruit 24 33
33
Current businesses 34 40
0 10 20 30 40
% answering very familiar
ED Service providers All

24. Most Economic Benefits to Business in Late
Adoption Applications
Fast/early adoption Access government
Electronic document transfer
Accessing collaborative tools
Research by staff
Website
Teleworking
Late Adoption Selling goods and services
Rich media or service creation
Deliver services and context
Social networking
Source: Strategic Networks Group – sngroup.com/research-library/

25. Familiarity with Internet Offerings and Services
23
Interest in local ED 27 40
19
Support 27 53
21
Types of services available 31 60
14
Price 24 53
17
Bandwidth speed 29 53
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
% answering very familiar
ED Service providers All

26. Where Can I Find What is Available?
broadband.nebraska.gov

27. What Will Drive Adoption and Utilization?
 Adoption (51%) Training – serious shortage of technology
 Training (58%) training for business owners
 Availability (29%) Local company laid fiber throughout
community
 55% desire more
 Affordability (20%) Rural Nebraska without fiber is being left
further behind
 Best Practices –- Joint effort with city, chamber and
economic development
 Collaboration
Line of communication between local
 Setting Priorities officials and broadband providers

28. Questions on Survey Results?

29. Let’s Talk….Your Insights
When you think of your community or region what do
you believe the greatest opportunities are to utilize high
speed Internet to achieve economic growth /
sustainability?

30. Let’s Talk….Your Insights
What challenges/barriers do you believe need to be
overcome before broadband is widely adopted?

31. Let’s Talk….Your Insights
Any words of advice on how to increase broadband
utilization and adoption within our region?

32. Let’s Talk….Your Insights
What are some things you would like to see NEDA do in
the area of technology and broadband?

33. Let’s Talk….Your Insights
What goals would like to see included in the broadband
plan around economic development?

34. Let’s Talk….Your Insights
Any suggestions for the broadband planning efforts?

35. Contact Information
 Charlotte Narjes cnarjes1@unl.edu
 Becky Vogt rvogt2@unl.edu
http://broadband.nebraska.gov