Broadband and the community As a public issue, broadband has taken on a higher profile in recent months because of President Obama’s decision to include funding for broadband in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). As enacted, ARRA included $7.2 billion for broadband with the goal of accelerating the deployment of broadband in the […]
Most broadband users see home high-speed connections as very important in community and civic life.
Trends in broadband adoption Some 63% of adult Americans have broadband internet connections at home, according to the April 2009 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. This figure compares with 55% recorded a year earlier and the eight percentage point increase translates into a 15% growth rate from May […]
Demographic differences in broadband adoption As we did in our 2008 report on home broadband adoption, this report assesses barriers to broadband adoption through questions to dial-up users and non-internet users about why they either do not have broadband or lack internet access. At a very broad level, there are clear demographic differences between broadband, […]
Personal finances and choices about personal information technology The rise in home broadband adoption, in the face of a severe economic recession, may seem surprising, as taking on the additional cost of a home high-speed connection might be difficult if discretionary income is tight. On the other hand, the migration to the internet of many […]
Among the 47% of Americans with laptops, wireless access is by-and-large the norm. Some 80% of laptop users have connected to the internet using a wireless network such as WiFi and 37% have used a longer range wireless broadband connection such as an AirCard. Overall, 81% of laptop users have connected wirelessly using one of […]
Americans have used several sources of information and advice in the recession. People have a range of options when it comes to seeking information and advice about their personal economic circumstances and how to change them. We asked everyone in our survey about the places they had gotten information and advice in the past 12 […]
Americans have used multiple sources to try to make sense of what is happening in the general economy. Just as people have options in getting material that helps them cope with stressful circumstances, they also can consult a variety of sources as they try to understand what has happened to the economy and the policies […]
