Digital Needs Assessment Report Released

The Sonoma County Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) completed a Digital Needs Assessment,  showing that affordability continues to be a persistent barrier to internet access. EDC contracted with Los Cien Sonoma County to conduct the assessment. 579 responses were collected over the course of one month through in person outreach. Of those 579 respondents, 63% make below 50% of the County’s area median income (AMI), $48,450. Key findings include:

• 80% of respondents reported having some form of access to internet, however, many of those respondents also reported paying high costs, having low speeds, and limited access to computer devices.
• 67% of respondents with internet reported their internet bill being too high. Of respondents with household incomes below 50% AMI ($48,450), 80% reported paying more than $30 per month for internet, despite likely being eligible for low-income internet plans.
• Of those that reported their internet speeds, 60% were below State and Federal minimum standards for internet speed, 100 megabits per second (MBPS) download and 20 MBPS upload. Speeds below this threshold are considered underserved.
• 44% of respondents reported either having no devices or only a smartphone to access the internet. This number increases to 53% for households with school aged children.

Read full Sonoma County Digital Needs Assessment Report here.