Internet Access at Home for Americans

A recent Pew Internet and America Life Project on Internet Access at Home for Americans found:

Internet access at home for adult Americans is at 63% (April 2009) as compared to 55% (May 2008).

The greatest growth of service has been in senior citizens and low-income household groups. College graduate households and upper income households experienced the lowest rate of growth in access. African American households again report lower than average rates of grow in access.

Maintaining or adding this access seems to have been largely immune to the effects of the current economy. Twice as many respondents said they had cut back or canceled a cell phone plan or cable TV than said the same about their Internet service. This growth is despite the increase in costs for home access.

This data might also be turned around to support the importance of libraries: Nearly 40% of American households do NOT have high speed access to the Internet.

Thanks to Rebecca Serey at the eiNetwork for sharing these points from the study!