According to the Yahoo tech blog, a new study by The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project has found that 63 percent of adult Americans have broadband Internet at their homes. That’s a whopping 15 percent increase in the number of broadband subscribers since the same time period in 2008. Imagine if there weren’t a recession!
Broadband penetration in the U.S. had been sitting still around the mid-50% range since 2007, so this large jump in subscribers is a sudden phenomenon. But it seems that times are changing with internet speed, and internet access has become a must-have utility instead of a luxury. Seniors, low-income Americans, non-college-educated users, and even rural Americans are installing broadband with record speed. In the case of low-income households, high-speed internet penetration jumped 40 percent in the last year.
It’s not necessarily that prices have come down either, if that’s what you’re thinking. Actually, Americans are paying more for their Internet access. In May 2008 the average net connection cost $34.50 a month. As of April 2009, the average monthly rate paid is $39. Not a huge increase, but still not getting cheaper.
The internet seems to be the most resilient of all media and communication platforms: 22 percent of adults have cut back on cable TV, and 19 percent of adults have cut back or canceled cell phone service, but in comparison only 7 percent of adults have canceled or cut back on Internet access.
We at Speedplexer think they choose the internet over other media and communications because once you have good broadband speed, you can do almost anything online. From watching TV shows or movies to downloading music, and from webcam chats to taking online courses, really all you need is a computer.