Report Summary of the paper “Digital Nation: 21st Century America’s Progress toward
Universal Broadband Internet Access, by the U.S. Department of Commerce

The report samples 4,000 households and 129,000 citizens. It's  central idea is that 
although broadband internet has transformed  the way  Americans communicate, 
for many citizens, broadband remains  out of reach. The report, complete with 
graph and pie charts, illustrates  the gaps in internet access (which demographic 
groups have it or  don’t and why); where it tends to be more accessible, as well 
why those who have access to it may chose not to use it. 

The paper compares and analyzes demographics regarding broadband  usage such as
income, ethnicity, Urban vs. rural, level of education, age, and marital status.

Major Statistics

Those with no broadband access at home amount to more than 35% of  all households 
and approximately 40% of all persons.

Dial-up use peaked around 2000, involving 37% of all households and has plummeted 
since. 53% of all households now have broadband  access

18-24 years-old exhibited the greatest broadband use at home while seniors (55 years 
or older) used broadband the least.

Usage by race and ethnicity: Asian non-Hispanics, led all groups in  usage, ending with 
non-white Hispanics.

Usage by employment status: 70% of employed persons have broadband  access, 58.4% 
unemployed and 47.4% not in he labor force.

In rural areas Black usage ranked (28.8 percent) vs their counterparts  in urban areas 
(47.8 percent respectively). 

Overall 69.9% percent of urban households and 54.1% of rural households have broadband 
service

This initial analysis of the 2009 survey results begins the process  of developing a factual 
basis for sound policy making to expand   adoption of and access to the Internet. 

This preview report is based on summary Current Population Survey  (CPS) data provided 
to NTIA by the Census Bureau.