executive summary

Purpose of this Study:

This study provides:

• Tracking updates on general access levels and sub-groups that are least likely to be connected to the Internet.
• An overview of changes in access and digital divide levels over the past three years.
• A discussion of emerging social policy and governance issues relating to the Internet and the digital divide.

Overall Access:

There has been marginal growth in Internet access for all groups, but the digital divide has not narrowed.

• Internet usage from some location had reached 59 per cent by the fall of 1999.
• Usage remained flat until the spring of 2001, when the overall level of usage increased to 69 per cent. Internet usage has remained about the same through 2001. The Digital Divide Persists.
• While home access has increased across all groups, growth rates in home access were more significant in upper income households.
• A majority of upper income households (81% of households with $80-99K and 83% with $100k and over) and upper middle households income (60% of households with $40-59k and 72% with $60-79K) have home access.
• Less than half (46%) of lower middle income households ($20-39k), and a little over one in three (35%) of lower income households (<$20k) had access from home.
• In spite of some growth, the division of home access based on income has continued to widen between upper and lower income households from a 39 point gap in 1997 to a 48 point gap in 2001.