The Federal Communications Commission has released a new report detailing the breakdown of Broadband Internet Adoption in America. They found that 65 percent of adults in America have some sort of high-speed Internet access at home, meaning that close to 80 million people are either using dial-up, or not using the Internet at home. The dividing line between those with and those without broadband are cited as socio-economic reasons, with income listed as the greatest factor.
Another difference appears to be education in the household, were 82 percent of college graduates had broadband at home, compared to only 46 percent of adults whose highest level of education was a high school degree.
Broadband in this survey of 5,005 people is identified as those using “cable modem, DSL-enabled phone line, fixed wireless, satellite, mobile broadband wireless connection from computer or cell phone, fiber optic, or T1“.
Some interesting facts from the report listed below:
- 78 percent of adults are Internet users, whether that means broadband, dial-up, access from home or access from someplace other than home.
- 74 percent of adults have access at home.
- 67 percent of U.S. households contain a broadband user who accesses the service at home.
- 65 percent of adults are broadband adopters. The discrepancy of two percentage points between household and individual home use is because some survey respondents are on broadband users but live with someone who, at home, is.
- 6 percent of Americans use dial-up Internet connection as their main form of home access.
- 6 percent are Internet users but do not use it from home; they access the Internet from places such as work, the library or community centers.
- FCC: OBI Working Paper – Broadband Adoption and Use in America
With the US economy woes, and home budgets tightening up, will we see this digital divide grow? Or, will we see the opposite effect and instead have a growth of in home broadband usage?