The 97%
By John Walker, Research and GIS Analyst
Last week, the United Nations announced that there are now estimated to be 7 billion people on the planet. But, what does that mean in terms of technology?
By the year 2015, Cisco estimates that 3 billion people worldwide will be Internet users. Less than two decades ago the Internet was still finding its way and now it’s connecting billions of people in every corner of the world. The devices and platforms of three billion Internet users will undoubtedly include mobile accessibility as a portion of the Internet experience. In the United States, connectivity to the Internet through hand-held mobile devices is becoming more prevalent.
Last week, the United Nations announced that there are now estimated to be 7 billion people on the planet. But, what does that mean in terms of technology?
By the year 2015, Cisco estimates that 3 billion people worldwide will be Internet users. Less than two decades ago the Internet was still finding its way and now it’s connecting billions of people in every corner of the world. The devices and platforms of three billion Internet users will undoubtedly include mobile accessibility as a portion of the Internet experience. In the United States, connectivity to the Internet through hand-held mobile devices is becoming more prevalent.
It has been reported this year that there are more that 82 million smartphone owners in the U.S. and more than 10 million tablet computer owners in 2010. These devices rely on mobile broadband networks for connectivity when away from Internet connection services like WiFi. The National Broadband Map shows that 97% of America has access to some form of mobile wireless.
How has mobile broadband impacted the way your get online? Let us know and join the conversation now!
In residential technology surveys conducted by Connected Nation this year, 42% of all respondents stated that they access the Internet via a cell phone or subscribe to mobile wireless services via a laptop. Both Florida and Texas have the highest rate of mobile Internet usage with 48% each in the 2011 residential surveys. This translates into 7 million adults in Florida and 8.8 million adults in Texas who access mobile Internet.
The bottom-line? Mobile broadband is helping bridge the digital divide.
For a moment, let’s look at mobile usage among households that do not adopt home broadband service. Twenty-three percent of all non-adopters surveyed use mobile Internet service in some capacity. Nearly one third (30%) of non-adopters in Texas use mobile broadband services on their cell phone or laptop computers as opposed to subscribing to home broadband. That is significantly higher than in all states that Connected Nation conducted a residential survey in.
Mobile broadband services allow more people to connect, whether they have home services or not.
Over the next few months, Connected Nation will be releasing reports from its 2011 residential technology assessments. The research shows the impact of broadband access and the digital divide created in areas that lack access. Talk a look at our interactive infographic to learn more: http://connectednation.org/research/
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