Wireless access to Internet getting good work out south of the border: Pew

New data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project reveals that approximately one-third of American Internet users have logged onto the Internet using a wireless connection either at home, at work or somewhere else using a laptop, PDA or cell phone. Below is an excerpt from the report.Users of wireless access show deeper engagement with cyberspace – at least when focusing on two basic online activities, email and news. Among the 34% of Internet users who have gone online wirelessly, 72% of wireless users check email on the typical day, compared to 63% of home broadband users and 54% of all Internet users; and 46% get news online on the typical day, compared to 38% of home broadband users and 31% of all Internet users. The differences between wireless and home broadband users are statistically significant and notable because most wireless users (80%) have broadband connections at home. Wireless by placeWhen asked about the places they connect to the internet by wireless means: 27% of adult Internet users have logged onto the Internet using a wireless device at some place other than their home or place of employment. 20% of Internet users have gone online at home using a wireless network. 17% of Internet users have connected wirelessly while at work. Most wireless surfers log on wirelessly from more than just one of the places asked about. In fact, 25% of Internet users have gone online wirelessly from two of the three places; put differently, three-quarters of all those who have logged onto the Internet using a wireless network have done this from more than one of the types of places queried.Wireless by deviceLaptop computers: Four in 10 (39%) Internet users have laptop computers and of these laptop users, 80% say their laptops can connect to the Internet on a wireless network. Most of the time, those with wireless-enabled laptops connect to a wireless network at home, although most also have logged on from someplace other than work or home. The growth in wireless networks at home has undoubtedly fuelled the use of laptops to connect wirelessly around the house. One in five (19%) of Internet users have wireless networks at home, which is twice the number recorded when the Pew Internet Project asked this question in January 2005, when 10% of Internet users had home wireless networks.More often than not, those with laptops and home wireless networks take advantage of in-house mobility; three-quarters of these users say they move their laptop around to different parts of the house.Cell phones: One quarter (25%) of Internet users say they have a cell phone that connects to the Internet with a wireless connection. Among Internet users with this capability on their cell phone, half (54%) have used it to get on the internet either at home, work, or someplace other than home or work. PDAs: One in eight (13%) Internet users have a PDA that can connect to the Internet using a wireless network. Of these, most (82%) have used it to connect at home, work, or someplace other than home or work. Demographic profile of 34% of Internet users who have logged onto the Internet using a wireless deviceAgeWireless UsersInternet Users18-2930%19%30-4949%42%50-6419%29%65+3%11%Home Broadband Access80%53%Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project Survey, December 2006Note: n798 for Internet users

Wireless access to Internet getting good work out south of the border: Pew

News | March 12, 2007

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us