Karen MossbergerUniversity of Illinois at Chicago

BROADBAND RESEARCH:

COMMUNITY-LEVEL CHANGE IN CHICAGO’S SMART COMMUNITIES,

CUYAHOGA COUNTY DATA

Caroline Tolbert, University of Iowa

Karen Mossberger, UICChris Anderson, University of

Iowa

Chicago research funded by Partnership for A Connected

Illinois and The John D. and Catherine T.

MacArthur FoundationOhio research funded by

One Community

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Chicago’s Smart CommunitiesBroadband Technology Opportunities Program (broadband stimulus

funding, National Telecommunications and Information Administration)

$7 million federal BTOP SBA grant to City of Chicago in 9 Chicago community areas (2010-2013)

Coordinated by Local Initiative Support Corp. (LISC) with community-based organizations

FamilyNet Centers Civic 2.0 training and tech organizers (community groups) Business Resource Network Digital Youth Network and YouMedia Neighborhood Portals Ad campaign

Interest

Increased

Cost

Reduced Skills &

Knowledge

Increased

City-wide Survey: A Unique Neighborhood-Level View

City-wide surveys in early 2011, 2013 (comparison with 2008)

English & Spanish, approx. 10 mins. n= 3,000, RDD, cell phone sampling included Geocoding, merger with census data, multilevel

modeling Estimates for 20 aspects of technology use, barriers

to use, for 77 community areas

Comparing change in Smart Communities with other Chicago neighborhoods from 2008-2011, controlling for demographic change

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Broadband vs. Smartphone Only

Mossberger, Q.2

Regression Results, 2008-2011 Smart Communities (BTOP SBA) neighborhoods have 15 percentage point

higher increase in Internet use, 2008-2011 – compared to other Chicago community areas, controlling for demographic change

No significant increase in broadband adoption, activities online (use for work, use for job search, health info, etc.)

Regression models based on change in estimates in multilevel models, 2008, 2011

Substantively large effect for Internet use in targeted communities Can’t say with certainty that Smart Communities caused change, but

controlled for many other factors, such as gentrification Regression allows us to say what the difference is between similarly-

situated areas with and without the Smart Communities intervention

Report available at broadbandillinois.org.

Why Broadband Matters for Anchor Institutions Cuyahoga County Survey, November

2012 Random sample phone survey, 1200

respondents

68% of parents use school’s website62% email teachers50% follow students on school portal

Cuyahoga Social Services

50% of social service recipients have broadband at home vs. 63% for County overall▪ Ohio Direction Card – 52%▪ WIC – 50%▪ Medicaid – 42%▪ Healthy Start – 63%▪ Ohio Work First – 69%▪ Senior/Disabled Bus Passes – 34%

Implications and Further Research Broadband matters for neighborhoods and community anchor

institutions

Chicago’s Smart Communities program may have been responsible for substantial gains in Internet use outside the home, using public access, smartphones, etc.

What might explain community-level outcomes? A critical mass of programs, resource sharing?

Broadband adoption at home did not increase, but prior research in Chicago and elsewhere shows that cost is a major barrier (Mossberger, Tolbert, Bowen & Jimenez 2012; Mossberger, Tolbert and Franko 2012)

Early 2013 citywide survey will offer additional measure of change later this year Does broadband adoption increase after Internet Essentials? Smart Communities promoted the program, which began right after the 2011 survey