The government of U.S. President Barack Obama has made "broadband for all" to a central theme of his reform policy. 17. March to the country's Telecommunications Authority FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to explain to parliament what it takes to achieve this.
Today, FCC release a study that tries to map the causes of every three Americans do not have broadband at home. At the time the survey is not yet available from the FCC website, but it is posted by the newspaper Wall Street Journal: Broadband Adoption and Use in America (pdf, 52 pages).
The survey is based on interviews with a representative sample of 5 005 adult U.S. citizens.
"Broadband" is defined as any access to the Internet except modem over analog line, that is essentially a cable modem or xDSL, but also a mobile connection. Respondents were not asked about the speed of fear to confuse them with Techno babble.
The main findings regarding the use and access looks like this: The distinction between access and no access to broadband follows the typical socio-economic indicators such as education and income. Of those who cut education after secondary school (high school) has 46 broadband at home. Of those with college level (college) or better, 82 percent have broadband at home. 40 percent of households with annual income under 20 000 dollar broadband. 87 percent of households with annual income of 50 000 dollar broadband.
* 33 percent of all households have broadband.
* 78 percent of adult Americans use the Internet.
* 6 per cent have internet via dial-up connection.
* 6 per cent cover their private network needs outside the home.
Minority stand still negative, but to a lesser extent than in previous surveys, it is said. Representatives of the minority group, Hispanic, that is, those with native Spanish speakers could choose to answer the survey in Spanish or English. Of those who chose Spanish, 20 percent had broadband at home. Of the selected English, 65 percent had broadband at home.
Those who do not have broadband, provide mainly three reasons:
It is too expensive, they can not use it, or they do not feel the need.
36 percent explained that the cost is the main reason why they do not have broadband. 22 percent say they can not and 19 percent say they live well without.
The average price for broadband in the U.S. is $ 41 per month. 15 percent of those without broadband say this is insurmountable, and that's why they have not subscribed. For 10 per cent is the actual computer that is too expensive. 9 percent say it is the installation cost that is too high. 52 percent of those without broadband said they would take advice if month subscription came down to $ 25 per month.
20 percent of non-users were not willing to use broadband unless it was absolutely free.
Verification Question added to the survey indicate that broadband usage in the United States will increase by 6 percentage points, ie to 71 per cent if the month award reduced to $ 20. A further reduction to 10 dollars a month can not be expected to increase the proportion of broadband users to more than 73 percent.
The study areas the proportion of people who do not have broadband at home in four categories: the "digitally remove", the "digital hopeful", the "digital awkward" and "almost converted. Each of these groups blocked by various factors.
The digitally remove make up 10 percent of the total population. They do not see the point of using the Internet. Media age is 63, and half are pensioners.
The digital hopeful constitute 8 percent of the total population. They are sympathetic to the idea of getting online, but do not have sufficient resources to acquire it, either because of cost or because of lack of skills.
The digital awkward constitute 7 percent of the population. Almost all have PCs, but they do not like it, and they are skeptical tuned to the web. They provide a wealth of reasons to stay away.
They almost converted constitute 10 percent of the population. Most people have computers and set up positive on the net. Many people use dial-up connection, and provide price leading cause of that they do not have broadband. This is the only group that can be recruited to broadband use through price reduction.
75 percent of all American families with minor children at home have broadband, and 87 percent have at least one working computer. Half of those who do not have broadband provide price leading cause.
Broadband to rural areas has been a theme in the American debate. The survey notes that only every other village households have broadband. It can only be partially explained by the lack of infrastructure, since only one in ten who live without broadband sparsely populated state that there is no access where they live. In densely populated areas provide only one of twenty that broadband is not available. The U.S. built the population is generally older and poorer than the urban. Resident Americans broadband has the same level of activity on the Internet as the urban.
