Broadband Adoption up in SC

Connect South Carolina recently released new data showing that broadband adoption in South Carolina surpasses the national average, with 76% of households subscribing to broadband service in 2013, up from 62% in 2010; a 14 percentage point increase. According to the Pew Research Center, the national broadband adoption rate in 2013 was 70%, which marks a 4-percentage point increase since 2010. “A 14% point increase in home broadband adoption statewide is phenomenal and we will continue educating residents on the importance and the benefits of broadband adoption,” said Connect South Carolina Community Technology Advisor Lindsay Conrad. “With more than three out of four non-adopters in South Carolina (78%) explaining that it would be easier for them to shop, seek out healthcare information, or interact with government offices if they had Internet access at home, however, our work is far from complete as we aim to expand adoption even further this year as adoption is one of the key issues being addressed by our broadband advisory council.” Among other key findings of the 2013 residential survey are nearly three out of five South Carolina adults (59%) use mobile broadband service, up from 29% in 2010 when Connect South Carolina began measuring this trend.  More than 424,000 households still do not subscribe to home broadband service. More than 124,000 school-age children in South Carolina still do not have broadband access at home. Approximately 967,000 working-age adults in South Carolina would need assistance with tasks that are often required by employers, such as creating a spreadsheet, going online from a mobile device, using a word processor, or sending an e-mail. This survey is conducted in support of Connect South Carolina’s efforts to close South Carolina’s digital gap and explores the barriers to adoption, rates of broadband adoption among various demographics, and the types of activities broadband subscribers conduct online, among other issues. Connect South Carolina’s 2013 Residential Technology Assessment was conducted in late 2013 and includes responses from 1,204 adult residents. Connect South Carolina conducted this residential survey as part of the State Broadband Initiative (SBI) grant program, funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.