Wired home Internet use falls as mobile use rises

A 2016 analysis by the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) found that Americans are rapidly moving toward mobile Internet use at home and dropping wired connections. According to the data, wired home Internet use declined from 82 percent to 75 percent between 2013 and 2015. Within the same timeframe, households that rely on mobile service doubled from 10 percent to 20 percent.

The use of mobile-only Internet use has doubled (or almost doubled) among all household income levels. Between 2013 and 2015, mobile-only Internet use increased from 6 percent to 15 percent among households that earn more than $100,000 and increased from 12 percent to 24 percent among households that earn $25,000-$50,000. The study also found that desktop computer use declined, while use of tablets and Internet-connected mobile phones increased.

It’s important to remember that even as some households move from wired Internet use to mobile-only use, wireless broadband is no substitute for a wired connection – it’s more expensive, less reliable – and smartphones won’t cut it for homework or job applications. Still, the results of this analysis may signal the beginning of a broad shift from wired to wireless Internet use. The result of such a shift would be significant increases in spectrum use. With more streaming video and increasingly data-intensive applications, wireless companies must upgrade their networks for higher capacities to be prepared for the change.

Links:

Evolving Technologies Change the Nature of Internet Use (NTIA, Apr. 19, 2016)