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Broadband and IT Access and Adoption:
The Seattle Information Technology Indicators Project
The City of Seattle is in the process of collecting new data about residents' use of communications technology, barriers and needs through an online survey, random telephone survey and focus groups with diverse communities. The results will be published this summer.
Over 2900 residents stepped up to complete our residential technology survey! There were 803 people who completed the random phone survey and 2128 people took the online survey. Thanks for taking the time and caring about the future of technology and how we can communicate effectively in our city and community.
If you'd like to receive a note when the results come out, email us at communitytechnology@seattle.gov .
Since 2000, the City's Information Technology Indicators project has been collecting extensive and statistically valid data on residential use of cable tv, broadband adoption and uses (including health, work, education, finance and civic engagement), barriers to broadband adoption, and customer service needs. This project is managed by our Community Technology Program with technical advice from our Citizens Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board (CTTAB).
Prior to this current 2013 update, the last residential survey was conducted in 2009. This research is conducted approximately every four years in addition to other digital inclusion/ broadband adoption research the City does.
Our last 2009 survey found in short that:
- Seattle is very connected and residents are calling for more speed;
- There are still significant gaps in access and use for some populations;
- Greater technology adoption would occur with increased training and awareness, low-cost options available for high speed Internet, help purchasing computers, and assistance in maintaining them safely and securely;
- There are opportunities for greater use of social networking, mobile applications and online city services.
Surveys were conducted in 2000, 2004 and 2009 and are based on our “Information Technology Indicators for a Healthy Community.” For the 2009 survey, the city commissioned a random telephone survey of 1064 households and, for the first time, the survey was also conducted in Spanish and nine targeted focus groups were held to get input from immigrant/refugee groups and African Americans. Cell phone only households were not included in the telephone survey, but focus groups collected some data from cell only users. We believe this is the most comprehensive research of an urban community’s use of information technology ever conducted.
To view or download 2009 Information Technology Access and Adoption in Seattle Report click here.
(pdf - 990 KB - 25 pages)
Also available:
What does a technology healthy community look like?
Background on the Seattle Information Technology Indicators Project
In 2000, the City of Seattle asked a wide range of community, education and business stakeholders what a technology healthy community would like. From this, we identified a set of goals for a technologically healthy community and then developed a set of measures (indicators) to reflect those goals. We then conducted the research to provide data for the indicators in 2000, in 2004, and 2009. These indicators
serve as signposts to measure the state of information technology as it impacts the social, economic, community and cultural health of Seattle as well as levels of civic participation and use of e-government. These measures, tracked over time, help the City improve customer services and ensure digital inclusion. They also assist a wide range of stakeholders concerned with community and economic development, education, human services, access to government services, civic participation, and equality in opportunity. The Information Technology Indicators Project is one of a number of Community Technology projects developed by the City of Seattle Department of Information Technology and the City’s Citizens Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board (CTTAB).
Past reports and background documents
- Information Technology Healthy Goals
The IT Healthy Goals provides a set of values for using information technology to develop a healthy community. These values, developed with a great deal of public input, provides the foundation for our indicators project.
- 2004 Report on Residential Technology
- 2003 Small Businesses Report,
This report adds data about the use and needs of information technology collected from small businesses.
- 2001 Information Technology Indicators for a Healthy Community Report
This report contains consolidates the residential survey along with a wide range of other data on technology investment and jobs, community use of the web and more to present the first wholistic measurement of the state of information technology as it impacts the social, economic and cultural health of Seattle.
- Seattle Technology Residential Survey (2000)
The first-ever survey of 1000 residents looking at technology access, literacy, and attitudes.
- Neighborhoods and Technology Survey (2000)
The results of a survey of community and neighborhood group leaders to learn about their use of information technology in community work.
- Non-Profits and Technology Survey (2001)
A collaborative survey of the Department of Information Technology, the Human Services Department, United Way, and King County Community Services Division looking at information technology access and needs within the non-profit community.
- List of Indicators and initial report - Phase I (2000)
See the results of the indicator development process. Completed in May of 2000, this set of indicators represents a new model for looking at the impact - both positive and negative - that technology is having on our region. These were initially modeled on environmental indicators.
- Public Input Documents
developed for and by the public as part of the indicator development process
in 2000.
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