Take the Wisconsin Internet Access Survey

By Bidgee – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5 au.

A new survey could help policymakers chart a path toward closing what is often called the “digital divide.”

This gap, or inequality, is the differences in access to broadband internet across the state, and even among residents in Milwaukee.

Internet access has become critical to education, job searches and many other facets of life. But access to internet service remains unequal, with many rural communities and poor urban neighborhoods still lacking access to high-speed, reliable internet.

A 2020 report by the non-partisan Wisconsin Policy Forum found that more than 13% of children in Milwaukee lacked broadband access at home, and this at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual schooling. Additionally, U.S. Census Bureau data from 2018 showed more than 350,000 state residents, about 7% of the state’s population, did not have access to broadband internet.

The Wisconsin Broadband Office — a creation of the state Public Service Commission — has released a survey intended to better map broadband access, and lack thereof, across the state.

Called the Wisconsin Internet Self-Report Survey, it is designed to gauge how respondents access the internet, what they pay and how reliable their service is. The survey also employs an internet speed test to get an accurate reading of the respondent’s service. All responses are confidential.

“Our team is committed to improving Wisconsin’s internet planning efforts, because we want to see Wisconsin businesses and households close the digital divide,” said Alyssa Kenney, State Broadband and Digital Equity Director at the Wisconsin Broadband Office. “Survey and speed test participation is critical to our planning efforts because these data points allow us to better understand how people use the internet, what challenges they experience, and any barriers to internet adoption.”

Gov. Tony Evers has been working to increase access to broadband internet for all Wisconsinites since taking office in 2019, driving funding into broadband expansion projects. In 2020, the governor created a Task Force on Broadband Access. In his latest biennial budget recommendation, the governor sought to allocate $750 million for broadband expansion. Republican state legislators stripped the provision of funding, citing funding expected for broadband projects coming from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley‘s office boosted the broadband survey Thursday, releasing a statement encouraging participation. The county executive noted that the digital divide has “far reaching consequences” on education, health care and employment.

“We recognize the divide disproportionately impacts marginalized communities and hinders our progress towards achieving race and health equity in Milwaukee County,” Crowley said. “So, it is critical we receive as much input as possible to help guide efforts to bridge the digital divide and address the systemic inequities that perpetuate disparities.”

Take the Wisconsin Internet Self-Report Survey here.