Nearly 80 Percent of of U.S. Households Get Broadband at Home

DURHAM, NH — Seventy-nine percent of U.S. households get a broadband Internet service at home, an increase from 20 percent in 2004, according to new consumer research from Leichtman Research Group (LRG). Broadband now accounts for 95 percent of all households with Internet service at home -- an increase from 94 percent last year, 89 percent in 2009, and 33 percent in 2004.

The mean reported time spent online at home per day is 2.8 hours among all individuals online at home — up from 2.2 hours per day in 2009. Among those online, ages 18 to 34 spend, on average, 3.3 hours per day online at home, compared to 2.8 hours per day among those ages 35 to 54, and 2.1 hours per day among ages 55 and above. For the first time ever in this study, the 18 to 34 age group overall reports spending more time per day online at home than time spent watching TV.

These findings are based on a telephone survey of 1,261 households from throughout the United States, and are part of a new LRG study, "Broadband Internet Access & Services in the Home 2014." This is LRG's twelfth annual study of this topic.

Other related findings include:

• 84 percent of households get an Internet service at home -- similar to recent years


• 63 percent of adults access the Internet on a smartphone -- up from 44 percent in 2012


• 59 percent get Internet service at home and on a smartphone -- up from 42 percent in 2012


• 24 percent of all not online at home access the Internet on a smartphone -- compared to 19 percent last year, and 12 percent in 2012


• 2 percent of households paid to subscribe to Internet service at home in the past year, do not currently subscribe, and do not plan to subscribe again in the next six months


• 41 percent of households with annual incomes under $30,000 do not use a laptop or desktop computer at home compared to 9 percent with incomes under $30,000


• 2 percent of all households have an iPad or tablet, but do not use a desktop or laptop computer

"The percentage of U.S. households with a computer, and the percentage of households that get an online service at home, has leveled off over the past few years, while broadband continues to grow at a modest pace," said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group. "Along with more people accessing a broadband Internet service at home than ever before, more time is also being spent online at home."