NEWS
The most recent survey of American internet usage by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has shown almost 20 percent of US households remain offline – and most do not see why this should change.
The NTIA conduct the Internet Use Survey every two years, and whilst the latest results have shown that over 108 million households now have access to the Internet at home, there are still over 24 million households that do not use the internet at home.
Of these households, 58 percent say they aren’t interested or don’t need internet access at home. This figure has barely changed since 2016, and less than 30 percent of these household access the internet elsewhere.
Other reasons given for not having internet access at home are cost, which has fallen steadily since 2013 from 29 percent to 18 percent, and availability which has fallen drastically since 2010. This has gone from over 20 percent of household to just 4 percent but this still equates to more than 1.1 million households.
Main reasons for not using the internet at home
A blog post on the NTIA website concludes “These results suggest that multiple strategies are necessary to stimulate greater adoption of the Internet, including subsidy programs such as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), the Digital Equity Act, and other initiatives to increase digital skills, equip people with suitable devices, and ensure important online services are accessible to all.”
The benefits of and challenges to providing inclusive connectivity for the USA will be addressed by Connected America, coming to Dallas on the 28-29 March 2023. Find out more about this at www.totaltele.com/connectedamerica
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