Reasons for Non-Use of Broadband Internet
When asked, the reasons given for why some Americans choose not to use the Internet or broadband technologies extend beyond issues of geography. Many Americans—41.3 percent of the total U.S. population—still do not use the Internet from any location. But, only 32.4 percent of U.S. households do not contain at least one person who uses the Internet. The key reasons given by those households that have never connected to the Internet at home suggest problems of cost/value and availability, including: “Don’t Need/Not Interested” (41.6 percent), “Too Expensive” (22.9 percent), and “No or Inadequate Computer Available” (22.5 percent). Affordability and computer availability are even more important for those who had Internet service but discontinued it. Major reasons for discontinuing home Internet use include “No or Inadequate Computer Available” (27.5 percent), “Too Expensive” (27.2 percent), and “Don’t Need/Not Interested” (18.4 percent)
Many of those who do not use the Internet employ other communications devices and entertainment media although their usage rates trail those of Internet users. For example, 48.3 percent of households that do not have Internet have cable TV versus 59.9 percent of Internet households. And 31.1 percent of households that do not have Internet have cell phones versus 67.7 percent of Internet households.
Indeed, a certain percentage of Americans remain non-users even when there is already someone in their household using the Internet at home. Figure 12 shows that almost one-quarter (24.7 percent) of non-Internet users live in a household that has an Internet connection. Additionally, only seven percent of the non-Internet users live in a household with broadband access. Therefore, it appears that regardless of availability or affordability, a certain percentage of Americans likely will remain non-users, just as five to six percent of households have consistently declined home telephone service since the early 1990s.
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