ƽ

Internet Users

For Some, Smartphones Act as a Home Internet Stand-In

Between 2015 and 2019, the share of people citing the convenience of their smartphone as a reason for not accessing high speed internet at home rose dramatically, surging from just 27 percent in 2015 to 45 percent in 2019, according to . Still, the most common reason people cite for not having home broadband is that it’s too expensive, though the share of people responding in this way dropped by nearly ten percentage points over the four years studied. Overall about 17 percent of all U.S. adults, identified as “smartphone-only internet users” meaning they report owning a smartphone but do not have a traditional high-speed internet connection where they live. That population has roughly doubled since 2013.

Notably the share of people who cite lack of access or unacceptable speeds as a reason for not having home broadband remained relatively the same over the four years studied, implying that the share of Americans who still can not access broadband has not improved.

The digital divide is a widely reported problem. While well-known, the actual scope of the problem is disputed. A quarter of respondents in this survey reported having slow download speeds that caused them not to purchase broadband; the FCC reported in 2018 that 8 percent of the U.S. population does not have broadband; and Microsoft, using their own internal analysis, found that nearly half of the U.S. population effectively did not have access to broadband.

Description

This chart shows the share of respondents who do not have high speed internet at home, by reason.

Premium statistics
Average monthly broadband access price in the EU 2026, by country
Premium statistics
Mexico: smartphone internet traffic 2018-2025, by OS
Median fixed broadband internet speed worldwide 2026, by country
Premium statistics
Number of fixed broadband internet subscriptions worldwide 2005-2025
Premium statistics
Largest internet companies by market capitalization in the UK 2026
Premium statistics
Share of people who access the internet with smartphones Japan 2024, by age group

Any more questions?

Get in touch with us quickly and easily.
We are happy to help!

Do you still have questions?

Feel free to contact us anytime using our contact form or visit our FAQ page.

ƽ Content & Design

Need infographics, animated videos, presentations, data research or social media charts?