Broadband Adoption in the U.S.: Trends, Patterns, Barriers John B. Horrigan, PhD Pew Internet and American Life Project
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1. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Wednesday, June 17, 2009
2. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Broadband Adoption in the U.S.: Trends,
Patterns, Barriers John B. Horrigan, PhD Pew Internet and American
Life Project
3. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Plan
Broadband: trends & analysis
Barriers to broadband adoption
4. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus The sample
2,253 adults interviewed from March 26 through April 19,
2009
561 cell phone interviews
79% of adults are internet users:
72% of adults have online access at home
5. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus The question
At home, do you connect to the internet through a dial-up
telephone line, or do you have some other type of connection, such
as a DSL-enabled phone line, a cable TV modem, a wireless
connection, a fiber optic connection such as FIOS or a T-1?
Among home internet users:
9% have dial-up
36% have cable modem
29% have DSL
15% wireless
4% fiber
1% T-1
2% other
Total share of high-speed among home internet users:
87%
6. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Trends in broadband adoption at home
7. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Demographics & SES: High growth
categories from 2008 to 2009
Women:
53% to 63%
Older Americans:
50-64 age range: 50% to 61%
65+ age range: 19% to 30%
Low income:
Household income below $20K 25% to 35%
Household income between $20K & $30K 42% to 53%
High school graduates:
40% to 52%
Rural Americans:
38% to 46%
8. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Demographics & SES: Low or slow
growth categories from 2008 to 2009
African Americans:
43% to 46%
2 nd consecutive year of tepid growth
Low level of educational attainment (non-high school
graduates):
28% to 30%
Several high-penetration groups:
Parents with minor children in household:
69% to 77%
30-49 age range:
69% to 72%
College graduates +:
79% to 83%
Upper mid-income (HH income over $75K):
84% to 85%
9. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Role of the economy
In past 12 months:
9% of internet users have cancelled or cut back internet
service
11% of adults have cancelled a landline phone at home to save
money
22% of cell users have cancelled or cut back on service
22% of adults have cancelled or cut back cable TV service
10. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Different Service Tiers
11. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus What people report paying per month
(average)
12. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Trends in monthly broadband prices
(respondents asked to report monthly internet bill to nearest
dollar exclusive of other services that may be bundled with
internet access)
13. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Choices people have for broadband at home
(% as a share of home broadband users)
21% report they have one broadband provider in their area.
30% of rural Americans say this
69% say they have more than one broadband provider in their
area. Among these:
29% report having two
39% report having three
24% report having four or more
14. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Choice and prices
Average price for those with one broadband provider:
$44.70 per month
Average price for those with more than one broadband
provider:
$38.28 per month
Average price by number of providers:
$42.83 for those reporting two
$38.10 for those reporting three
$32.10 for those providing four or more
15. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Broadband in the community: How important
is high-speed for 55% of broadband users cite at least one of five
items as very important to their environment 19% 14% 31% 34%
Communicating with health care or medical providers 23 17 31 26
Communicating with government officials 22 20 35 23 Sharing your
views with others about key issues 18 17 36 26 Contributing to
economic growth 16 15 37 31 Finding out what is going on in your
community Not important at all Not too important Somewhat important
Very Important Asked of home broadband users
16. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Barriers to Access
17. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus 1% 13% Other 1% 17% It would have to
become available where I live 1% 16% Don't know 1% 20% Nothing
would get me to switch 2% 32% Price must fall % of all adults % of
dial-up users Dial-up users = 7% of all adults What would it take
to get you to switch to broadband? (asked of dial-up users) Reasons
people do not have broadband at home (2009)
18. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus * 1% Physically unable * 2% Just dont
know how * 2% Too old to learn 1% 4% Waste of time 1% 4% Too
busy/no time 1% 5% Don't have computer 1% 6% Dont know/refused 1%
6% Dont need it/dont want it 2% 7% Difficult 2% 10% Too expensive
3% 13% Other reason 3% 16% Can't get access 5% 22% Not interested
in getting online % of all adults % of non-users Non-internet users
= 21% of all adults What is the MAIN reason you dont use the
internet or email? (asked of non-users)
19. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus 3% 13% Usability (difficult + waste of
time + too old + physically unable) 4% 17% Availability 5% 19%
Price (price must fall + too expensive + no computer) 13% 50%
Relevance (not interested in getting online + nothing could get me
to switch + too busy + other unspecified reasons) % of all adults %
of dial-up + non-online users Summary of reasons dial-up and
non-internet users cite for not having broadband at home
20. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Demographic difference across groups
citing various barriers to access
Non-broadband or internet users citing price or availability as
barrier are:
Older: median age is 51
Women: 60%
African American: 23% vs. 11% in sample
Low income: 39% vs. 16% in sample
Rural: 33% vs. 19% for the sample
Non-broadband or internet users citing relevance or usability
as a barrier are:
Older still: median age is 63
Low income: 32% vs. 16% in sample.
All groups have low levels of educational attainment:
Three-quarters have no more than high school education
21. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Take away thoughts
Broadband adoption is up
Especially for older Americans, lower income groups, and in
rural areas
Prices are up too
More choice linked to lower prices
Barriers to broadband adoption
Non-users most often cite factors relating relevance of the
internet to their lives as reasons for non-adoption
Price and availability lesser issues
22. Developing a National Broadband Strategy: Deployment,
Adoption and the Stimulus Broadband Adoption in the U.S.: Trends,
Patterns, Barriers John B. Horrigan, PhD Pew Internet and American
Life Project