A recent study conducted on behalf of West Virginia for Broadband examines the perspective of the state’s residents on a number of issues.

The poll found 85% of West Virginians have Internet services in their homes and three out of four of those with service said their internet speed currently meets their needs. Additionally, only one out of five said they were not happy with their current Internet service, even among those who work from home.

The study shows respondents use the Internet regularly and for various reasons. 87% say they use the Internet daily or more often, while 79% use the Internet to shop and 62% pay bills or conduct online banking. Almost half of those polled said that they use the Internet for online entertainment sites like Hulu, and Netflix to stream shows or movies. Of that number, 51% were between the ages of 18 and 34.

Mostly though, respondents use the Internet for communication purposes. 78% of West Virginians with Internet service in their homes use social media such as, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. Additionally, 86% used the Internet for email. 70% of those polled said someone in their household has a smartphone – such as an Android or iPhone. Of those, nearly 90% of participants use a data or Internet plan for their devices.
A majority of West Virginians, 57%, stated they do not feel the Internet is an essential utility such as water, or electricity. Meanwhile, 63% of West Virginians are unsure what the “max” download speed delivered by their respective provider is.

Regarding current policy issues, 71% are against adding sales tax to telephone services as a new source of revenue for the state. Also, construction of the so-called “middle mile,” a section of Internet infrastructure estimated to cost $75 Million and would then only be used by some Internet providers, was overwhelmingly rejected. 63% of those polled stated they would not wish for their legislator to support it.

Finally, when asked about the reasons West Virginia’s economy currently lags behind the rest of the nation, less than 2% felt the state’s lack of broadband Internet connectivity was a contributing factor – instead pointing to the state’s lack of economic diversity, workforce education, aging population, highways and other issues.

West Virginia for Broadband is a coalition that strives to educate business leaders, economic development entities and policy makers about the value of broadband and assists them in their efforts to enact effective decisions to bring internet access to all West Virginians.
The live-interview telephone survey was conducted among historic, likely voters in West Virginia. A total of 600 respondents completed the entire survey – giving the poll a 4 +/- margin of error with a 95 percent confidence rate. The sample was proportionate to each of the three congressional districts in the state. Both cell phones and landline telephones were called. Results were collected from all 55 counties. Partisan registration among respondents was 48 percent Democratic, 35 percent Republican and 17 percent Independent. The poll was conducted February 2-4, 2017.