Adoption Gap Remains Along Demographic Lines, Socio-Economic Status Does Not Explain the Entire Gap

Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 - The Department of Commerce's Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today released a report, “Exploring the Digital Nation,” that analyzes broadband Internet adoption in the United States.  Overall, approximately seven out of ten households in the United States subscribe to broadband service. The report finds a strong correlation between broadband adoption and socio-economic factors, such as income and education, but says these differences do not explain the entire broadband adoption gap that exists along racial, ethnic, and geographic lines. Even after accounting for socio-economic differences, certain minority and rural households still lag in broadband adoption.