Utah Broadband Project

PurposeTo develop a statewide

map of available broadband services and a

plan to increase broadband adoption and deployment in the state.

GROWTH IN THE USE OF BROADBAND-ENABLED TECHNOLOGIES IS EXPECTED TO [CONTINUE TO] BOOM

Illuminating the need for broadband planning…

The Internet: Then and Now2000• 46% of US adults used the

internet• 5% had broadband

connections at home• 0% connected to the

internet wirelessly• 0% used social network sitesInfo flowed mainly one way Info consumption was a stationary activity

2012• 82% of US adults use the internet• 2/3 have broadband at home

(even higher in Utah)• 88% have a cell phone

– 46% are smartphone users– 19% have a tablet computer– 19% have an e-reader

• 2/3 are wireless internet users• 65% of online adults use social

network sitesInfo is now portable, participatory and personal

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project www.pewinternet.org

Source:

So, Who isn’t Online?The Current State of Digital Access

One in five American adults does not use the internet.

• Among adults who do not use the internet, almost half have told us that the main reason they don’t go online is because they don’t think the internet is relevant to them.

• The 27% of adults living with disability in the U.S. today are significantly less likely than adults without a disability to go online (54% vs. 81%).

• Though overall internet adoption rates have leveled off, adults who are already online are doing more.

• The rise of mobile is changing the story. • Even beyond smartphones, both African Americans and English-speaking

Latinos are as likely as whites to own any sort of mobile phone, and are more likely to use their phones for a wider range of activities.

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project www.pewinternet.org

HOW CAN THE PUBLIC SECTOR PLAY A ROLE IN BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT AND ADOPTION?

So, now what?!

Utah Broadband Advisory Council

MissionTo examine the condition of

broadband adoption and deployment in the State of

Utah and to provide the Governor and Legislature

with recommendations and policy guidance related to

the findings of the Advisory Council. TO BE RELEASED JUNE 19

http://blog.broadband.utah.gov/about/broadband-advisory-council/

Education Libraries Economic Development

Public Safety

Health Care TransportationRural Broadband Access

Tribal Broadband Access

What else we know…

• Utah is the national leader in home broadband adoption, with 80% of households in Utah using broadband at home.

• We have the youngest population in the United States.• There is no gap in demand for broadband services in

rural and urban Utah.• Schools are connected, most with a gigabit-enabled

speeds.• Residential broadband is widely available, even in

rural areas.

Is there a city official who can answer these questions in your town?

• Who are companies that provide broadband service in my city?

• Do all of our citizens have the ability to get some form of broadband access at home?

• Where can our citizens go to get free public access?

• Are businesses getting the broadband services they need?

Find your local champion!

Communities need both robust and affordable broadband access

Business Needs• High-capacity broadband

access is critical to the state’s ability to attract and retain businesses of all sizes.– Utah is known as a strategic

location for national connectivity and has attracted high tech companies such as Adobe, Oracle, IM Flash Overstock and Ebay

• Businesses are increasingly demanding reliable, redundant broadband

Citizen Needs• Communities need affordable

home broadband access• Communities also need

places free public access a computer and the internet– Libraries or community centers

often fill this need• 1/5 American adults aren’t

online because they don’t see the need

Are Utah’s local governments online?

• According to the Utah Association of Counties, all counties currently have a website– http://www.uacnet.org/about-counties/links-to-co

s-and-others/• According to the Utah League of Cities and

Towns (ULCT) not all cities have a website– http://www.ulct.org/ulct/about/linkstocities.html

No Website

32%

Have a Website

68%

Utah Cities and Towns Without a Website

Out of 245 Utah cities or towns, only 166 had a website

In the National Broadband Plan, the FCC states:

“Americans can check their bank accounts, communicate with customer service

representatives and do their shopping anytime, anywhere by using applications enabled by

broadband. Americans now expect this level of service from their government and are often

disappointed with what they find.”

Are Utah Businesses Online?• Results based on a 2011 survey conducted by the Business

Expansion and Retention (BEAR) initiative – BEAR is based in GOED, and covers rural counties

• All counties except Davis, Salt Lake, Utah and Weber

• The Survey gathered data from about 5,000 small to medium-sized businesses, including whether or not their business had a website

• 20 Counties surveyed (focused on rural):– Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery,

Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sevier, Toole, Uintah, Wasatch, Wayne

– 9 Counties not surveyed:• Davis, Morgan, Rich, Salt Lake, San Pete, Summit, Utah, Washington, Weber

Have a Website

28%No Website

72%

Small-Medium Utah Businesses Without a Website

Out of 4,690 Utah businesses surveyed,

only 1333 had a website

Daggett

County

Tooele County

Box Elder

County

Grand County

Kane County

Iron County

Juab County

Wayne County

Uintah County

Cache County

Millard County

San Ju

an County

Sevier

County

Piute County

Carbon County

Garfield County

Duchesn

e County

Emery

County

Wasatch

County

Beave

r County

TOTAL

5

174119 49

2 20415

22 128 39 30 59 126

191 35 36 65 1348

1333

0

3844 18

1 12616

32 196 64 49 105 2417

776 179 212 366 941153

3357

Utah Businesses Without Websites by County

Have a Website No Website

Resources from the Utah Broadband Project

• Data, data, data.– Interactive Utah Broadband Map– Data available for download– Customizable maps upon request

• Broadband Advisory Council meetings and members– Open monthly meetings– Can facilitate broadband planning discussions

• Project website: broadband.utah.gov

Tara ThueManager, Utah Broadband Project

Contact:tthue@utah.gov

Web: broadband.utah.govTwitter: @utahbroadband

SlideShare: slideshare.net/UtahBroadband