AfterDawn: News

Report: Many families rely on just mobile Internet, cut out home connections

According to new data, Americans are curring back on home wired Internet, with many (especially poorer) families opting for just mobile web.

The data is from a sample of 53,000 Americans and the study was conducted by the U.S. Commerce Department.



Over 30 percent of households that earn less than $25,000 per year exclusively use mobile Internet, up from 16 percent just 3 years ago. Additionally, 18 percent of households that make $50,000 to $75,000 are now mobile-only, 17 percent of households making $75,000 to $100,000 are mobile-only and even 15 percent of households earning over $100,000 have made the switch.

While it makes the most sense to see lower-income families sticking to just one form of paid Internet, the higher income families making the consciensous choice to go mobile-only is certainly interesting.

Check out the full study here: NTIA

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 22 Apr 2016 12:43

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• 7 comments

• CarpeSol

  With the ridiculous price gouging by all the major providers this is no surprise. My cable bill is double what it was just 2 years ago, and that's not even with T.V. Internet only.
  

  23.4.2016 22:28 #1

• klassic

  Mobile internet is too slow and I cannot use it on my PCs.
  

  I wanna devise a virus and bring dire straights to your environments. Crush your corporations with a mild touch, trash the whole computer systems and revert you to papyrus - Deltron 3030

  24.4.2016 09:48 #2

• pollution

  I have been using mobile only for 7 years and rabbit ears for TV. Saves a lot of money.
  

  
  
  

  24.4.2016 11:22 #3

• hearme0

  Originally posted by pollution: I have been using mobile only for 7 years and rabbit ears for TV. Saves a lot of money. I find this hard to believe as mobile internet has profound caps and is brutally slow compared to home (wired) internet (Some exceptions but I'm speaking in general term here).
  
  I know that i'm a light net user, even as a network engineer. I only download about 20gigs per month but that would be a serious overage on cellular. Add to that, I sometimes hit the 80gig mark which would get me shut down on mobile.
  
  I just don't believe this unless you're barely using.

  25.4.2016 14:23 #4

• SProdigy

  Just more BS from the government, who's non-elected FCC body raised their definition of "high speed" internet from 6mbps in January, to 30mbps. Now even my home connection isn't considered "high speed" nor is my cell, unless I'm in a larger city.
  
  They did this to push for subsidizing various programs to say lower income people don't have "high speed" internet. What they don't mention is how many people do have internet, how many had access prior to the change in definitions, or how many flat out don't use it (like my tech challenged mother, who has no need for internet.)
  
  Therefore take this same type of study with a grain of salt.

  3.5.2016 15:42 #5

• megadunderhead

  Honestly this is what i find funny in all of this.
  
  Mobile internet won't run..
  
  Video game consoles (and now due to drm on most of them you have to have them online) without a huge fee for using mobile services on them.
  
  blu-ray players.
  
  Netflix,hulu,ETC Because you need a physical ip address and a cell tower isn't one no thanks
  

  5.5.2016 07:45 #6

• adre02

  Originally posted by hearme0: Originally posted by pollution: I have been using mobile only for 7 years and rabbit ears for TV. Saves a lot of money. I find this hard to believe as mobile internet has profound caps and is brutally slow compared to home (wired) internet (Some exceptions but I'm speaking in general term here).
  
  I know that i'm a light net user, even as a network engineer. I only download about 20gigs per month but that would be a serious overage on cellular. Add to that, I sometimes hit the 80gig mark which would get me shut down on mobile.
  
  I just don't believe this unless you're barely using. I agree somewhat but poorer families really do not deal with much else but email, social media, and a few searches here and there. I have friends that are at the poverty level or slightly above and this is usually the average. Surprisingly they do not tend to DL many movies. Most just use redbox. Not saying the guy above is poor but...
  
  Im in the security egineering field and I do not hog an extreme amount, maybe 100GB per month.
  

  This is superman

  11.5.2016 09:28 #7