Broadband in Kansas: The Challenges of Digital Access and Affordability

The Institute for Policy & Social Research (IPSR) at the University of Kansas received funding from the Economic Development Administration at the US 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. The Kansas broadband survey collected information regarding broadband access, adequacy, affordability, satisfaction, and speed tests. 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 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 lacking access to high-speed broadband services, now considered 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload (100/20). Close to half of the survey respondents (46%) report dissatisfaction with broadband services.