Research: 92% US homes have Internet service
December 13, 2023
Findings from Leichtman Research Group (LRG) indicate that 92 per cent of US households get an Internet service at home, compared to 83 per cent in 2018 and 76 per cent in 2008. Broadband accounts for 98 per cent of households with an Internet service at home, and 90 per cent of all households get a broadband Internet service – an increase from 81 per cent in 2018 and 57 per cent in 2008.
The research also found that 60 per cent of broadband subscribers are very satisfied (8-10 on a 1-10 scale) with their Internet service at home, while 5 per cent are not satisfied (1-3). Satisfaction with broadband is as high as in any year in the past decade, and compares to 53 per cent who reported being very satisfied in 2018 and 59 per cent in 2013.
These findings are based on a survey of 1,767 households from throughout the United States and are part of a new LRG study, Broadband Internet in the U.S. 2023. This is LRG’s twenty-first annual study on this topic.
Other related findings include:
- 70 per cent of broadband subscribers agree (8-10) that their Internet service meets the needs of their household, while 5 per cent disagree (1-3)
- 64 per cent of broadband subscribers rate the quality of the speed of their Internet connection 8-10 (with 10 being excellent), higher than any year in the past decade, including 53 per cent in 2018 and 58 per cent in 2013. Just 3 per cent rate speed 1-3 (with 1 being poor)
- 42 per cent of broadband subscribers do not know the download speed of their service – compared to 59 per cent in 2018
- 22 per cent of broadband subscribers report that their provider is the only one available in their area – compared to 27 per cent in 2021
- 87 per cent of households use at least one laptop or desktop computer, and 96 per cent of this group get an Internet service at home
- Those that do not use a laptop or desktop computer at home account for 64 per cent of all that do not get an Internet service at home
“The percentage of households getting an Internet service at home, including high-speed broadband, reached an all-time high over the past year,” advises Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group. “This year’s study found that 92 per cent of households get an Internet service at home, an increase from 85 per cent in pre-pandemic 2019. Broadband subscribers are generally content with their services, with 60 per cent reporting that they are very satisfied overall, and 70 per cent agreeing that their Internet service meets the needs of their household.”