Laserfiche WebLink
Residents in the county put a strong weight on the importance of internet in their <br />homes, with 96% stating that Internet is extremely or very important, and only <br />three respondents saying it was not important. <br />The residential survey responses found that Indian River County's broadband <br />market is lacking competition, residents are relatively satisfied with their providers, <br />and speeds received by respondents are well above the minimum requirements for <br />broadband. However, it should be noted that 60% of respondents' education level <br />was a bachelor's degree or higher, contrary to Indian River County's population of <br />68% having a high school education or less. Additionally, 48% of the respondents <br />are retirees while the population's mean age is 33. These population statistics <br />indicate that it is highly likely that most of the County's underserved population did <br />not respond to the survey, which could possibly skew the total results. <br />Broadband Demand <br />The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the need and demand for reliable, <br />accessible high-speed internet access. Over 65% of survey respondents in Indian <br />River County noted that their needs for internet have increased during the <br />pandemic. As more and more education, remote work, telemedicine and everyday <br />communication is moving online residents and businesses alike are realizing the <br />increased needs. <br />28 <br />WWW.MAGELLAN-ADVISORS.00M 203 <br />