Best Practices for Implementing an External Recruiting Partnership
Nebraska broadband initiative aims to increase adoption, access
1. Initial and Supplemental Proposals awarded to Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) from the
U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
NTIC, UNL, DED and the AIM Institute are cooperatively leading the broadband planning efforts.
2. Let's Talk About Broadband - How Can We
Leverage Broadband to Increase Growth?
2012 NEDA Fall Conference
Presented by Becky Vogt and Charlotte Narjes
UNL Center for Applied Innovation
3. About the Nebraska Broadband Initiative
Broadband is a foundation for economic growth, job
creation, global competitiveness and
a better way of life.
broadband.nebraska.gov
4. Goals of this initiative include:
Increase adoption and utilization of broadband
Develop regional broadband plans
Increase understanding of importance of broadband
as a foundation of economic growth
5. NEDA Broadband Survey
Insight - how membership is using technology
Identify barriers in adopting broadband
Help identify educational opportunities to better
utilize
Establish benchmarks
6. NEDA Broadband Survey
Online survey distributed to 333 members via listserv
76 responses (23% response rate)
Types of organizations responding:
68% - city/county/regional economic development
company/organization
33% - service providers
7. Population of Area Served
7% under 1,000
9% between 1,000 and 2,499
14% between 2,500 and 4,999
18% between 5,000 and 9,999
14% between 10,000 and 19,999
21% between 20,000 and 99,999
18% 100,000 or more
8. Type of Area Served
38% city, town or village
33% county
14% region
9% state
3% multi-state region
3% other
10. Items on Website
Videos about community or area 63
38
11
ED programs/incentives 89
14
Available buildings/sites 86
10
Local education institutions 90
Housing information 100
19
Available Internet service providers 81
7
Info for new residents 93
0 20 40 60 80 100
Anticipate Adding Currently Have
11. Videos on Website by Population Served
10,000 or more 10 90
2,500 - 9,999 57 43
Under 2,500 50 50
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Currently have Anticipate adding
12. Satisfaction with Website
Very dissatisfied 16
Somewhat dissatisfied 13
Neither 7
Somewhat satisfied 30
Very satisfied 32
N/A 3
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
13. Comments about Website
Needs Improvement (38.2%)
Resources available (20.6%)
Challenge maintaining (16.2%)
Content (14.7%)
Adequate, good (30%)
Weak (70%)
Friendliness of Website
(22.1%)
User-friendly (53.3%)
Not user-friendly (46.7%)
14. Comments about Website
It has most of the information.
Our pitfall is maintaining the site.
Easy to maneuver. Feel it has an attractive look.
Good information.
Just had it revamped and not up to our standards.
Difficult time finding a web developer.
No pictures, not user friendly…we are in the process of a
complete overhaul
15. Social Media Tools Used
Not sure 1
LinkedIn 48
Blogs 11
YouTube 27
Twitter 27
Facebook 75
None 16
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
16. Confidence in Using Social Media Effectively
Don't Very
know/NA effectively
9% 10%
Not at all
effectively Somewhat
41% effectively
40%
17. Satisfaction with Internet Connection Speeds
Upload speeds
68% fast enough
22% average, but not quite fast enough
56% of economic developers vs. 83% of service
providers indicated fast enough
Download speeds
65% fast enough
25% average, but not quite fast enough
19. Economic Development Plan Currently or
Will Be Incorporating Broadband
28% of economic development organizations
11% serving population of 2,500 or less
36% serving population between 2,500 and 9,999
25% serving population of 10,000 or more
20. Perceived Effectiveness of Broadband
Utilization in Locale
Reducing costs of govt 30
0 11
operations 19
58
Increasing quality of life 23
22
41
Providing educational 71
33
opportunities 22
53
48
Attracting businesses 33
22
38
0 20 40 60 80
Serve pop. 10,000 or more Serve pop. between 2,500 and 9,999
Serve pop. under 2,500 All members
21. Belief that Access to High-Speed Internet
Services is Accomplishing Various Items
Staying in touch with family/friends (92%)
Accessing financial services (83%)
Reaching higher education levels (76%)
Getting health information (64%)
Community and emergency alerts (61%)
Improving job skills/professional development (60%)
Finding a better job (60%)
Starting a home-based business (51%)
Transitioning to a new industry or profession (45%)
22. Perceived Adequacy of Internet Services
28 44
Future generations 11 27
Attracting new residents 11 35 41
37
Businesses in community 11 39 44
41
33 48
Households in… 11 52
Your organization 22 50 52
63
0 20 40 60 80
% answering very adequate
Serve pop. 10,000 or more
Serve pop. Between 2,500 and 9,999
Serve pop. Under 2,500
All members
23. Familiarity with Internet Service Needs
16
Younger population 22 40
9
New employees 17 40
14
Teleworkers 19 33
21
Businesses trying to recruit 24 33
33
Current businesses 34 40
0 10 20 30 40
% answering very familiar
ED Service providers All
24. Most Economic Benefits to Business in Late
Adoption Applications
Fast/early adoption Access government
Electronic document transfer
Accessing collaborative tools
Research by staff
Website
Teleworking
Late Adoption Selling goods and services
Rich media or service creation
Deliver services and context
Social networking
Source: Strategic Networks Group – sngroup.com/research-library/
25. Familiarity with Internet Offerings and Services
23
Interest in local ED 27 40
19
Support 27 53
21
Types of services available 31 60
14
Price 24 53
17
Bandwidth speed 29 53
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
% answering very familiar
ED Service providers All
26. Where Can I Find What is Available?
broadband.nebraska.gov
27. What Will Drive Adoption and Utilization?
Adoption (51%) Training – serious shortage of technology
Training (58%) training for business owners
Availability (29%) Local company laid fiber throughout
community
55% desire more
Affordability (20%) Rural Nebraska without fiber is being left
further behind
Best Practices –- Joint effort with city, chamber and
economic development
Collaboration
Line of communication between local
Setting Priorities officials and broadband providers
29. Let’s Talk….Your Insights
When you think of your community or region what do
you believe the greatest opportunities are to utilize high
speed Internet to achieve economic growth /
sustainability?
30. Let’s Talk….Your Insights
What challenges/barriers do you believe need to be
overcome before broadband is widely adopted?
31. Let’s Talk….Your Insights
Any words of advice on how to increase broadband
utilization and adoption within our region?
Initial and Supplemental Proposals awarded to Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) from the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The Nebraska Information Technology Commission Community Council (NITC), University of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL), Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) and the AIM Institute are cooperatively leading the effort to address the broadband planning needs of Nebraska’s communities.
Briefly explain what plan to do during session – Brief OverviewHighlights of the surveyYour insight -
We are doing this through a number of efforts focused around –Mapping (PSC)Building CapacityTechnical AssistanceRegional Planning
Thank you to those participating in the study…today we want to highlight some of the results and spend time thinking about the possibilities.
Asked why satisfied or dissatisfied with organizational website.There were 46 comments shared re the website. With 68 different themes.
Ask question – Clarifying --- 75% responded that using facebook and 48% using linked in. Only 10% feel utilizing effectively, would someone be willing to share some insight on this information?
Perceptions of Technology in Community or Area Organizations serving areas with smaller populations are less likely than organizations serving larger population areas to say their locale has incorporated broadband into their economic development plan. o 28% of economic development organizations (local governments, chambers or economic development organizations) say their locales have incorporated broadband into their plan or are writing a plan now that will incorporate broadband. 11% serving population of 2,500 or less 36% serving population between 2,500 and 9,999 25% serving population of 10,000 or more o 19% of service providers say their locales have incorporated broadband into their plan or are writing a plan that will incorporate broadband. 0% serving population between 2,500 and 9,999 (NOTE: only two in this category) 31% serving population of 10,000 or more
Percent agreeing or strongly agreeing with these items. The ones in italics are the ones where the smaller population areas are much less likely to agree (either statistically significant difference or close to it)
Promote the DED business survey – will be sending to membership.Synchronist – survey will be included.