Over 1 in 7 Minnesotans who needed a Reliable internet connection during pandemic did not have one

According to American Public Media Research Lab's Minnesota’s Diverse Communities Survey, only half of those from households that included someone either working from home or attending school online reported a “very reliable” internet connection. One-third indicated that their internet connection is “somewhat reliable,” with the remainder split between “slightly reliable” and not at all reliable. Over half of all Minnesotans reported that someone in their household worked from home or attended school online in the 12 months prior to answering the survey, including nearly three-quarters of Minnesotan respondents that are Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC). Although roughly equal proportions of BIPOC and White Minnesotans reported at least somewhat reliable access to the internet, a higher proportion of White Minnesotans reported having a “very reliable” internet connection, compared to BIPOC Minnesotans. Only 31 percent of Hmong adults who needed an internet connection for work or school indicated having a “very reliable” connection. Despite a large proportion of Minnesotans with reliable internet access, more than 1 in 7 Minnesotans who needed a reliable internet connection for work or school did not have one. Since there is a strong correlation between education level and income, the fact that fewer Minnesotans with less education report access to reliable internet than Minnesotans with more education implies that this difference hinges on the affordability of high-speed internet.

[Benjamin Clary is Senior Research Analyst at APM Research Lab.]