seattlegovsmallThe City of Seattle is conducting a survey to get a better grip on how the Emerald City uses Internet and how connected people are to government.

Running until April 19, Seattleites can take the survey online, which asks all kinds of questions about what types of technology you use, Internet and social media use, cable TV preference and communication with community groups and local government.

The city says that this is the most extensive local research in the country on technology adoption.

“We want to ensure all residents have access to next generation technologies and the skills to use them,” Mayor Mike McGinn said in a press release. “This survey provides us with current data on how residents use the Internet and social media. The results will help us offer more choices for residents wanting to communicate with government.”

Depending on how you answer, the survey runs 41-to-66 questions and takes about 15 minutes to complete. Results should be posted this summer.

The city says that the answers will help guide its decisions on digital inclusion, cable refranchising, the city web site, Seattle Channel and public outreach and engagement. We’ve reached out to city officials to find out if the survey answers will impact the reach of Gigabit Squared’s new high-speed fiber network that’s set to run through 12 Seattle neighborhoods. We’ll update when we hear back.

This is part of the city’s Information Technology Indicators Project, which is part of the city’s effort to increase broadband use and provide technology access to all residents. Similar surveys were conducted in 2000, 2004 and 2009.

Last year, University of Illinois at Chicago gave top marks to Seattle for its use of the web for civic engagement. Just a few months ago, a Washington State Broadband Office report found that 98.7 percent of the state’s residents live in areas where broadband is available and 83 percent of live in households with Internet access.

McGinn was recently in New York City meeting with NBA owners to demonstrate the political support for the NBA in Seattle.

UPDATE, 12:20 P.M. 

In regard to the Gigabit Squared question, the city told us this:

We’re hopeful that the survey results will be helpful to anyone who wants to build, including Gigabit Squared.  The information on differences in use and how people want to receive information should also be useful to app and web developers as well as content providers targeting diverse demographics.

Previously on GeekWire: Mayor McGinn: We’re doing our best to make Seattle a great place for entrepreneurs

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