High speed internet in Oregon households: Improved access and increased uptake between 2019 and 2021

Introduction: Reliable high-speed Internet access is critical to information access and economic participation, but gaps in access persist in rural states like Oregon. Objectives: This project aims to identify the proportion of Oregon households who lack high-speed Internet access at home, investigate the reasons why some households still do not have access, and explore how these reasons have changed between 2019 and 2021. Methods: Using Tableau Desktop (version 2022.4), this project visualizes the proportion of Oregon households with high-speed Internet access in 2019 and 2021, the main reasons that some households do not use the Internet at home, and how those reasons have changed over time. Results: Internet use, availability, and affordability all showed an increase between 2019 and 2021. Affordability remains the second most important reason why households do not subscribe to high-speed Internet, but lack of interest is the top reason. Availability of high-speed Internet increased over the study period. Conclusions: Investments in broadband infrastructure are having the intended result, bringing high-speed Internet services to more households in Oregon. However, barriers persist, particularly around affordability.