Are you 'connected'? Estas 'conectada'? KC phone text survey wants to know

As part of the city’s ambition to get everyone everywhere access to the Internet, Kansas City wants to know who is — and isn’t — adequately connected.

A phone text survey, in English or Spanish, will help the city direct efforts where it is needed most.

The survey takes only a few minutes to complete. You get there by texting “connected” to 816-693-6749 to complete the survey in English. You can text “conectado” to 816-693-6749 to complete the survey in Spanish.

The pandemic has exacerbated the damaging effects of the digital divide as households that don’t have adequate Internet connections — or any connection at all — struggle with online schooling, miss opportunities to work safely from home and are left out of community help and support networks.

The city, with the Kansas City Coalition for Digital Inclusion, has raised its ambition to leverage partnerships of public and private forces to do “whatever it takes” to get all households connected and functional on the Internet.

The phone text survey is part of the research that will inform the city manager’s office’s work to carry out a resolution, passed by the City Council in June, to develop a plan to achieve full connectivity.