The State of U.S. Broadband Adoption

With all eyes fixed on the economy and broadband deployment playing a role in our nation's stimulus plans, broadband is a hot topic.  Our latest Broadband Now video takes a look at broadband adoption in the U.S., starting with the fact that America's nearly 1,400 broadband providers have invested more than $120 billion in infrastructure in the past two years alone.  Just how connected are we?  With roughly 73 million households online, our country is the most populous broadband nation on earth other than China.

While more than 90% of Americans live in areas where broadband is available, we're now learning the reasons why some Americans are not online.  New surveys from the Pew Internet and American Life Project indicate that nearly half say they simply don't need broadband.  And in fact, less than 10% of unconnected Americans say cost is a barrier to access. 

But despite the widespread availability of broadband, there are real factors slowing adoption in our country.  For example, one in four American homes do not have a computer - a clear barrier to access that can be overcome through innovative public-private partnerships. 

Just this week, a living example of an effective public-private partnership is playing out, as Connect Ohio distributes 400 computers to disadvantaged students and community computing centers through Governor Strickland's No Child Left Offline initiative, thanks in part to the private investment of the Ohio Telecom Association.  This kind of visionary effort can make impressive strides in reducing the digital divide, as evidenced by a similar program in Kentucky that increased computer ownership by five times the national average and caused broadband adoption to double.

According to the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report, U.S. Internet infrastructure is among the world's best and is continually improving.  And broadband adoption is increasing rapidly across demographics and income levels, with minorities, working families and rural Americans achieving some of the fastest growth.  Given the promise of broadband and policymakers' interest in speeding advanced services, we can achieve greater broadband deployment by targeting the populations and areas facing unique broadband adoption challenges and making a difference through creative alliances and solutions.

For more on broadband adoption, tune into our latest Broadband Now video or read key economy facts featured on this week's USTelecom video wall.