The dependability and speed of internet service among Nebraska residents depends largely on whether they live in a rural or urban area, according to a newly released study of about 1,450 Nebraskans conducted in 2023.
Half of those surveyed living in a town or city who have home internet reported their internet as being very dependable, nearly double the amount (26%) for those living on a farm or open country. 28% of farm dwellers said that their internet is somewhat dependable to not at all dependable, compared with only 11% of those who live in a town or city who reported the same.
The digital divide in Nebraska is also apparent in available speeds. Urban dwellers also had the highest rate (37%) of very fast internet speeds, compared with only 16% of those who live on a farm. More than one-third (37%) of those who live on a farm report having somewhat slow or very slow internet speeds.
Statewide, across all property types, 45% of Nebraska adults with internet reported their home internet service to be very dependable, 41% reported mostly dependable, and 14% reported somewhat dependable, a little dependable, or not dependable at all. One-third of Nebraska adults (33%) with home internet described it as very fast, 56% said it was somewhat fast, and 12% said it was somewhat slow or very slow.
The report also found a digital divide across regions of the state. Roughly half of those with home internet in southeast and midland areas — the areas that include Lincoln and Omaha — reported having very dependable internet (45% and 52%, respectively), higher than the other areas. Adults in these regions also were more likely to report having very fast internet at home (36% and 35%, respectively).
Among the ways Nebraska will look to close the digital divide is through the $405 million in BEAD funding.
The Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (NASIS) is an annual statewide concurrent mail and web survey conducted by Nebraska Bureau of Sociological Research.
