FCC Report: One-Third of Americans Do Not Use High-Speed Internet at Home

A recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) survey found that 78 percent of U.S. adults are regular Internet users, but only 65 percent use broadband connections at home. Affordability, lack of knowledge of computers and the Internet and lack of interest were cited as reasons by those who said that they do not use home high-speed Internet. The results will be used by the FCC in crafting a strategy to increase broadband adoption rates and improve the cost and quality of high-speed services.

The FCC survey, conducted in November 2009, revealed divisions along socioeconomic lines pertaining to Internet use and adoption. While 82 percent of adults who attended or graduated from college used broadband at home, only 46 percent of adults whose highest level of education was a high school degree do the same. A similar gap exists for household incomes. Eighty-seven percent of American households with incomes higher than $50,000 have broadband at home, while only 52 percent of those with lower incomes have high-speed service.

Though the adoption gaps between white households and African-American and Hispanic households are narrowing, only 59 percent of African-American households and 49 percent of Hispanic households have home connections. African-American respondents were more likely than the average respondent to have used high-speed connections to take educational courses for credit online, 83 percent compared to 60 percent for the total population. Both lower-income and African-American respondents were more likely than average to have used broadband connections to seek employment.

Senior citizens continue to have the lowest broadband-at-home penetration rate with only 35 percent of Americans 65 and older having high-speed connections.

The FCC will release its National Broadband Plan later this month (see the February 17 issue), which will address broadband gaps, improve U.S. digital infrastructure and improve high-speed services. The survey reveals that the plan will have to find ways to appeal to four categories of U.S. non-adopters. These categories include:

• Digitally Distant (10 percent of the U.S. population) - These non-adopters do not see the point of being online. They are likely to be older and to see the Internet as a dangerous place with few opportunities for learning or helpful services.
• Digital Hopefuls (8 percent) - Digital hopefuls see cost as their main barrier to broadband at home. Relevant costs include computers, training, set-up fees and high-speed subscriptions.
• Digitally Uncomfortable (7 percent) - This group has a low opinion of the Internet and what it means to be online. People in this group often lack the skills to make optimal use of computers and Internet resources.
• Near Converts (10 percent) - Near converts share many similarities with households that receive broadband service, but are not subscribers. Cost is the most commonly cited reason for non-adoption.

Read the full report at: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-296442A1.pdf