Almost half of U.S. adults have broadband Internet access in their homes, according to a new study, with particularly high subscription growth in black communities, rural communities and low-income groups. The study, conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, showed that 47 percent of adults now have high-speed Internet, an increase from 42 percent in early 2006 and 30 percent in early 2005.
The smaller increase between 2006 and 2007 can be partly attributed to a marketplace that is “maturing,” said Aaron Smith, a Pew research specialist.
The “easy converts” have already switched to broadband by now, Smith told The Examiner, and the targeted groups that remain are those that don’t have a computer, those that aren’t connected to the Internet, those that may be satisfied with dial-up access and those that don’t yet have broadband available in their area. The findings were based on a survey of 2,200 adults nationwide conducted in February and March. The sample size was too small to develop a state-by-state breakdown.
Among what Smith described as “historically underrepresented groups,” black people saw an 9 percentage-point increase since 2006 in broadband use at home, to 40 percent. In rural communities, 31 percent of the population now uses broadband, an increase of 6 percentage points. Households with annual incomes of less than $30,000 made significant gains over the past year as well: a 9 percentage-point increase since 2006 to 30 percent.
Smith says aggressive marketing by service providers, a decrease in prices and a “self-reinforcing mechanism” — the wide availability of broadband access in the workplace and in others’ homes — all contribute to the increase in broadband subscriptions. Broadband Internet encompasses DSL service, cable modem connections, wireless connections, T1 connections and fiber optic connections.
According to Smith, it’s difficult to determine exactly how many people across the country still do not have the option of subscribing to broadband. In D.C., Maryland and Virginia, Comcast, Verizon and a few other networks provide broadband service.
Comcast serves more than 1.1 million customers in the Washington metro area, more than half of whom subscribe to Comcast’s high-speed Internet service, company spokeswoman Lisa Altman said. Verizon also is widely available in the metro area, according to Christy Reap, a Verizon spokeswoman. Verizon’s new fiber-optics technology, FiOS, is still being rolled out in the metro area, so subscriber numbers were not available.
