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Citizen Market Research and Insights
How Americans Are Accessing the Internet and the Digital Divide
While most Americans have access to the internet, some choose not to utilize it. Some can’t afford a computer, and some are still connected to the internet via low speed dial up connections. The Office of Citizen Services studies these trends, while remaining committed to serving those who do not have internet access.
Home Broadband Adoption 2009
June 17, 2009 | John Horrigan, Pew Internet and the American Life Project
An April 2009 survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows 63% of adult Americans now have broadband internet connections at home, a 15% increase from a year earlier. April's level of high-speed adoption represents a significant jump from figures gathered by the Project since the end of 2007 (54%).
Internet Use Triples in Decade, Census Bureau Reports
June 3, 2009 | U.S. Bureau of the Census
According to a supplemental survey released June 3 by the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of adults accessing the internet increased from 22% to 64% over the decade ending in 2007. The survey also showed that Internet use increases with education level and is highest in New Hampshire and lowest in Mississippi.
Broadband Deployment Plan Should Include Performance Goals and Measures to Guide Federal Investment
May 2009 | General Accounting Office, GAO-09-494
The federal government needs to develop timelines and performance measures for expanding broadband access to rural and underserved areas if it wants to provide transparency and accountability, according to a report the Government Accountability Office released on Wednesday.
The Mobile Difference
March 25, 2009 | John Horrigan, Pew Internet and the American Life Project
Mobile connectivity is now a powerful differentiator among technology users. Those who plug into the information and communications world while on-the-go are notably more active in many facets of digital life than those who use wires to jack into the internet and the 14% of Americans who are off the grid entirely.
Twitter and status updating
February 12, 2009 | Amanda Lenhart Susannah Fox, Pew Internet and the American Life Project
As of December 2008, 11% of online American adults said they used a
service like Twitter or another service that allowed them to share
updates about themselves or to see the updates of others. Just a few
weeks earlier, in November 2008, 9% of internet users used Twitter or
updated their status online and in May of 2008, 6% of internet users
responded yes to a slightly different question, where users were asked
if they used "Twitter or another 'microblogging' service to share
updates about themselves or to see updates about others."
Generations Online in 2009
January 28, 2009 | Sydney Jones and Susannah Fox, Pew Internet & American Life Project
Contrary to the image of Generation Y as the "Net Generation," internet users in their twenties do not dominate every aspect of online life. Gen X is the most likely to shop, bank and look for health information online. And larger percentages of older generations are doing many more activities online.
The Future of the Internet III
December 14, 2008 | Janna Anderson Lee Rainie - Pew Internet and the American Life Project
A survey of internet leaders, activists and analysts shows they expect major tech advances as the phone becomes a primary device for online access, voice-recognition improves, artificial and virtual reality become more embedded in everyday life, and the architecture of the internet itself improves.
They disagree about whether this will lead to more social tolerance, more forgiving human relations, or better home lives.
Home Broadband 2008: Adoption Stalls for low-income Americans even as many broadband users opt for premium services that give them more speed
July 2, 2008 | John Horrigan , Pew Internet and the American Life Project
Some 55% of all adult Americans now have a high-speed internet connection at home. The percentage of Americans with broadband at home has grown from 47% in early 2007. Poorer Americans saw no growth in broadband adoption in the past year while at the same time nearly one-third of broadband users pay more to get faster connections.
High-Speed Internet Access for All
June 24, 2008 | William Jackson, Government Computer News
"
,,,the United States is falling behind in broadband Internet access at a time when high-speed online access is becoming a public necessity in fully developing economic, social and political potential."
A coalition of academics, information technology industry leaders and public-policy advocates have launched a campaign to make “access to a fast, open and affordable Internet a basic right for all Americans.” They have also launched the InternetforEveryone.org website.
» Link to External site 
Digital divide in U.S. closing slowly but still 'significant'
May 15 , 2008 | Baltimore Business Journal
The number of U.S. households with Internet access has increased about 11 percent since 2006, according to a study from marketing research and consulting firm Parks Associates. The 'National Technology Scan' report, an annual phone survey of U.S. households, found 18 percent, or 20 million homes, were without Internet access in 2007. However, in 2006, 29 percent of all U.S. households (31 million homes) did not have Internet access, citing low perceived value.
Nearly 20 percent of all American heads-of-household have never used e-mail. The study also shows 50 percent of those who have never used e-mail are over 65, and 56 percent had no schooling beyond high school.
Gartner Survey Shows Internet Used Predominately for E-Mail, Search
April 30, 2008 | Government Technology News Report
"Despite the huge growth in new applications such as Internet video and social networking, most consumers indicate the main reason for accessing the Internet is to use e-mail and gather information, according to a survey by Gartner."
Study Finds Broadband Adoption Lags Behind Availability
April 2, 2008 | Tom Doran- AgriNews
According to a study by the U.S. Internet Industry Association, it is the adoption of broadband, rather than the availability of it that is lacking. .The study, Deployment of Broadband to Rural America An Evaluation of Current Broadband Services to Rural Americans and the Impact on Internet Public Policy on Broadband Deployment, was written by David McClure, president and executive officer of USIIA.
New Survey Finds Gaps in U.S. Broadband
March 21, 2008 | News Report (govtech.com)
Sixty-five million Americans depend on broadband services for work, education, entertainment and communications. But too many other Americans have no access to broadband services, according to a new telecom industry survey.
Information Searches that Solve Problems: How People Use the Internet, Libraries, and Government Agencies When They Need Help
12/30/2007 | Raine/Estabrook/Witt - Pew Internet and the American Life Project
People who have faced one of several common government-related problems in the past two years are more likely to consult the Internet than other sources, including experts and family members.
» View report (external site)
Are "Wired Seniors" Sitting Ducks?
4/11/2006 | Susannah Fox - Pew Internet and the American Life Project
Currently, the vast majority of Americans age 65 and older do not go online. But that will likely change in a big way as the "silver tsunami" of internet-loving Baby Boomers swamps the off-line senior population in the next 10 years. That demographic shift, paired with a rising tide of viruses, spyware, and other online critters, is cause for concern since there is evidence that older users are less likely than younger ones to take precautions against software intrusions and fraud.
» View report (external site)
A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use Of the Internet
2/2004 |Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Association
Prepared by Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Association and the Economics and Statistics Administration, this report is based on the September 2001 U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey – a survey of approximately 57,000 households and more than 137,000 individuals across the United States. As such, the data in this study are among the most broad-based and reliable datasets that have been gathered on Internet, broadband, and computer connectivity.
