Budget-Savvy Consumers Turn to Broadband

In today's economy, American households are becoming increasingly budget conscious and are expressing this outlook online.  Given this growing trend, our latest Broadband Now video focuses on the consumer benefits of broadband in the face of the economic downturn. 

Where do consumers seek broadband bargains?  As people look to pinch pennies, websites featuring online coupons have surged 38% over the past year, coupons.com has noted significant spikes in traffic, and thanks to the rocketing growth of mobile coupons these bargains are going green.  In fact, a new report from Juniper research estimates retailers will send upwards of 3 billion coupons to our wireless devices by 2011 totaling $7 billion in consumer savings.

Consumers are also looking for less expensive forms of entertainment, and thanks to broadband, free and low-cost Internet entertainment options abound.  With the average American watching a record 151 hours of television each month it should also come as no surprise that television subscriptions increased by 450,000 by the fourth quarter of 2008.

But even as Americans look to economize, broadband isn't an area that the vast majority of consumers are willing to cut.  According to the firm BIGResearch, 81% of Americans say they can't live without the Internet, and a new study by the International Telecommunications Union concludes that the U.S. has the most affordable broadband in the world.

Whether consumers are looking for deals on everyday expenses, searching for low-cost entertainment, or conducting Internet job searches, broadband is making big contributions to budget-minded households across the country.

For more on broadband's consumer benefits, tune into our latest Broadband Now video.