CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council Chairman Robbie Morris says he hopes new survey data released Thursday will help guide what the state does to help expand internet access across the state.
“It was interesting to see that when we talk about reasons to bring about high-speed broadband to everybody education, healthcare and economics were the main reasons why people are using the internet,” Morris said following a presentation during the council’s meeting Thursday.
According to the West Virginia Statewide Broadband Survey, conducted by TPMA, 90 percent of respondents said they have home internet access, but some still barriers to access.
“The most reported reason was the lack of availability followed by reliability and cost,” Erin Brown with TPMA told the council. “Over 60 percent reported that high speed service was not available at their homes.”
The survey was conducted in collaboration with the state Department of Economic Development’s Office of Broadband between June 28, 2023 and Aug. 16, 2023.
Brown said the overall takeaway was that there is a growing need for high-speed connection in West Virginia.
“We can see that there is a high demand for increased broadband access, speed and reliability and that respondents want high speed internet access, but most are not currently receiving broadband speeds or do not have access to high-speed internet at their location,” she said.
Most people access the internet at least once a day regardless of having home internet access, according to the survey.
“Even those without home internet access, 87 percent of those respondents reported using the internet at least once a day, demonstrating the necessity of access for everyday life,” Brown said.
The survey showed more than 80 percent use the internet for email, banking, online shopping and social media as the top reasons.
“I think this shows how important it is not just for things like banking, but also for social connection,” Brown said.
Even if residents don’t have internet access, Brown said most people have a smart phone.
“Over 98 percent report having an internet enabled devices in their home. This persists even for those without home internet access. While they may be insufficient for something like work or education, they are able to effectively handle many common tasks,” she said.
The survey showed DSL and cable internet are the most common internet types. Frontier and Optimum are the most commonly reported internet service provider in West Virginia.
Paper surveys were handed out to those who could not access the survey online.
