[RTC List] Pew Internet Project report on home broadband adoption

Sat Jul 5 10:51:47 PDT 2008

To interject into this discussion:

I know a few older folks, and I suppose they could afford broadband or any
form of internet access, but they really don't like computers and besides
their fingers cannot even use a typewriter anymore.  More, a computer
monitor is a TV to them.  Now, I happen to like computers and have broadband
access.  Here is the rub, as the saying goes.  I get phone calls from my
older friends who ask me to "look up" information for them.  One of my
friends still uses a rotary phone.  Do you remember them?  He dials me, as
he says, to ask to find out everything from cat maladies to the arcane
writings on humor by the Earl of Shaftesbury.

So my question is, of those who do not have any internet access directly,
how many have indirect access?

Dan

On Sat, Jul 5, 2008 at 10:19 AM, Bob Morse <bob at morsemedia.net> wrote:

>  Our old friend Andrew Cohill  makes a good point on his blog:
>
> "The Pew folks have never asked broadband users if they would go back to
> dial up. And you need to ask that question in order to be able to understand
> the survey results of the dial up question in the appropriate context....In
> fact, I've been asking that question to rooms full of people for many years,
> and I have never had a single broadband user stand up and say, "Oh yea,
> broadband is waaaay too fast for me. I'm switching back to dial up next
> week.""
>
> http://www.designnine.com/news/node/1184
>
> If you haven't had broadband it's quite possible you can't imagine what
> value it has or how it can enhance your life by opening up possibilities not
> feasible on a 56k modem.
>
>
> Tina Nerat wrote:
>
>  Sean, thanks for sending the links. I thought I'd add a few comments. I
> was in Oregon most of the past week and saw the articles in their
> newspapers. I thought what was in the press was oriented to low income urban
> populations. The story is a bit different for rural America, and they did
> touch on rural areas a little bit. One has to dig for the references to
> rural America. Here are some of the rural references I saw in the report.
> Tina
>
>
>
> *Broadband growth was strong among older and lower-middle income*
>
> *Americans, as well as rural Americans.*
>
>
>
> *Non-broadband users cite a number of reasons for not using the service*
>
> *including availability, price, and lack of interest.*
>
> - 14% of dial-up users – and 24% of dial-up users in rural America – say
> that broadband service
>
> would have to become available where they live.
>
>
>
> *Lack of broadband availability looms in the mind of some dial-up users.*
>
> *- *Nonetheless, the fact that rural residents are more likely to report
> that broadband isn't
>
> available where they live indicates that infrastructure availability comes
> into play in
>
> broadband adoption.
>
>
>
> *Fixed wireless has greater role in the home broadband market.*
>
> * *
>
> *Non-internet users – one-quarter of adults – represent the largest group*
>
> *of those without broadband.*
>
> *- *43% of non-internet users are over the age of 65 or, put differently,
> 65% of senior
>
> citizens do not use the internet.
>
> - 43% of non-internet users have household incomes under $30,000 per year.
> **
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* list-bounces at redwoodtech.org [mailto:list-bounces at redwoodtech.org<list-bounces at redwoodtech.org>]
> *On Behalf Of *Sean McLaughlin
> *Sent:* Thursday, July 03, 2008 6:19 PM
> *To:* RTC
> *Subject:* [RTC List] Pew Internet Project report on home broadband
> adoption
>
>
>
>
> Home Broadband Adoption 2008 Report (PDF)<http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Broadband_2008.pdf>,
> Pew Internet & American Life Project
> http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Broadband_2008.pdf
>
> Press Release July 2, 2008
> http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/305/press_release.asp
>
> Among some interesting findings:
>
> "Americans who are not online – 27% of adults who do not use the internet –
> are likely to be older (their median age is 61) and have low incomes. When
> non-internet users are asked why they don't use the internet, here is what
> they say:
>
> ·  33% of non-users say they are not interested.
>
> ·  12% say they don't have access.
>
> ·  9% say it is too difficult or frustrating.
>
> ·  7% say it is too expensive.
>
> ·  7% say it is a waste of time.
> "Economic factors play a large role in why some people don't have
> broadband, but about one in ten non-broadband users say that service isn't
> available where they live," said Horrigan. "Beyond price and availability,
> some non-broadband users simply don't see the need for having a high-speed
> connection at home."
>
>
> Happy Independent Day!
>
>
>  --
>
> Sean McLaughlin
>
> Executive Director
>
> Access Humboldt
>
> P.O. Box 157, Eureka, CA 95502
>
> tel: 707-476-1798
>
> dir: 707-476-2873
>
> fax: 707-476-1702
>
> cel: 707-616-2381
>
> e: sean at accesshumboldt.net
>
> web:  accesshumboldt.net
>
>
>
> "Local Voices Through Community Media"
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
>
>
> --
> Bob Morse
> Morse Media
> Web Development * Web Hosting * Internet Marketinghttp://morsemedia.net
> 707-444-9566
> 707-496-9191 (cell)
> Blog: http://talkingtech.net
>
>
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