US broadband take-up slows

The number of US homes with broadband now stands at 55 per cent and adoption rates have dropped off markedly.

Meanwhile, one in 10 Americans are currently using a dial-up connection and many do not intend to upgrade to broadband.

Nearly two-thirds of dial-up users have no interest in switching to faster broadband connections, most citing cost or convenience. The majority of these are women living in rural areas.

More worryingly, over a quarter of Americans have no internet access at home, the majority of whom are either elderly or on low incomes.

"Although these demographic and socio-economic factors are powerful forces keeping some people off the net, many non-users are not completely disconnected from cyber-space," said the report.

"Some 21 per cent of non-users said that someone in their household uses the internet at home, and a fifth of current non-users have used the internet at some time in the past."

However, a third of non-connected households reported that they have no interest in using the internet at all.

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