Many Americans see little point to Web? (Don't need the "Internets")

Reuters ^ | March 26, 2007

[2ndDivisionVet]

A little under one-third of U.S. households have no Internet access and do not plan to get it, with most of the holdouts seeing little use for it in their lives, according to a survey released on Friday.

Park Associates, a Dallas-based technology market research firm, said 29 percent of U.S. households, or 31 million homes, do not have Internet access and do not intend to subscribe to an Internet service over the next 12 months.

The second annual National Technology Scan conducted by Park found the main reason potential customers say they do not subscribe to the Internet is because of the low value to their daily lives they perceive rather than concerns over cost.

Forty-four percent of these households say they are not interested in anything on the Internet, versus just 22 percent who say they cannot afford a computer or the cost of Internet service, the survey showed.

The answer "I'm not sure how to use the Internet" came from 17 percent of participants who do not subscribe. The response "I do all my e-commerce shopping and YouTube-watching at work" was cited by 14 percent of Internet-access refuseniks. Three percent said the Internet doesn't reach their homes.

The study found U.S. broadband adoption grew to 52 percent over 2006, up from 42 percent in 2005. Roughly half of new subscribers converted from slower-speed, dial-up Internet access while the other half of households had no prior access.

"The industry continues to chip away at the core of nonsubscribers, but has a ways to go," said John Barrett, director of research at Parks Associates.

"Entertainment applications will be the key. If anything will pull in the holdouts, it's going to be applications that make the Internet more akin to pay TV," he predicted.

[Grizzled Bear]

"Grizzled Bear sees no point to Reuters!"

[flashbunny]

[MarkL]

I don't believe in that "internet thingee" Especially since The Goracle invented it.

Mark

[Names Ash Housewares]

I suppose there were holdouts for that new fangled electricity too.

[kinsman redeemer]

I don't have the internets and I never use it. period.

[Grunthor]

"A little under one-third of U.S. households have no Internet access and do not plan to get it"


Likely the elderly.

[madison10]

Since when does one third of anything qualify for "many?"

[Grizzled Bear]

I don't have the internets and I never use it. period.

---

You must be that guy who posts on FR by sending smoke signals. Or are you the guy who bangs two coconuts together?

[B-Chan]

Am I on line?

[txroadkill]

Since when does one third of anything qualify for "many?"

I guess that depends on the situation...If you were in the woods and came across 6 bears and only 2 came after you....

[lawdude]

So? WITHGAS.

OTOH, Many Americans do not have, nor want health insurance.

Many US citizens don't have or want Cable TV.

I say again; SO?

[madison10]

ROFL Two too many.

[Centurion2000]

I'm using CPIP : Carrier Pigeon Internet Protocol

RFC 1149 : Yes this is a REAL internet protocol.

[ApplegateRanch]

Still are. They're called "Amish". "Old Order Amish", to be precise.

There's another group of them, too. I think they're called "deadbeats".

[Cacique]

bump

[Dallas59]

My Pop says the same thing about Mobile Phones...

[lapdog]

When I was a kid, it was a trip to the library to find a book. My kids sit at a computer at home and complain about the number of hits Google returns. 500 years from now they'll talk about the printing press, the PC and the Internet in the same breath.

[Oztrich Boy]

How do they get their porn?