Broadband in Kansas: The Challenges of Digital Access and Affordability

Abstract

The Institute for Policy & Social Research (IPSR) at the University of Kansas received funding from the Economic Development Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce under the CARES Act to study broadband access in the state of Kansas. To conduct this study, IPSR examined existing data, fielded our own survey of broadband speeds and access, conducted focus groups, and commissioned a chapter on the digital divide within the state of Kansas. The report discusses available data sources and introduces the speed test data collected by IPSR in order to map the broadband access landscape in Kansas. Along with speed tests, the Kansas broadband survey collected information regarding broadband access, adequacy, affordability and satisfaction. The survey data were enhanced by interviews and focus groups that allowed Kansans to share their struggles with internet access in their own words. The report also investigates digital equity using surveys and interviews conducted at public libraries that revealed the challenges faced by library patrons, including lack of digital access and literacy. The report that is summarized below indicates a rural-urban digital divide in terms of access, affordability, and satisfaction with broadband services. The data in this report indicate that up to 1,000,000 Kansans live in regions that lack access to highspeed broadband services, now considered to be 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload (100/20). Close to half of survey respondents (46%) report dissatisfaction with broadband services.