Eight in ten Canadians have Internet connection at home
February 14, 2010
Eight in ten Canadians have Internet access at home, according to a new study by Ipsos Reid. Canadians older than 55 are less connected than their younger compatriots but are catching up fast. Mobile connection is the next big wave, Ipsos Reid predicts. : Source Digital Journal
CALGARY, Alberta – Having an Internet connection at home has become an indispensable part of life for Canadians and eight out of ten people in the country have web access at home, a new study has found.
“Even in difficult economic times, Canadians understand that having Internet access is essential in today’s society,” said study author Mark Laver, Associate Vice President with Ipsos Reid.
“Internet access is critical to finding employment, it can be used to save money, for paying bills, finding deals, and as a form of entertainment. It has become so important to the lives of Canadians, that in some areas of the country, Internet access is almost identical to home telephone access," Laver said.
"Over eight in ten Canadians (82 percent) now have Internet access at home. This represents a 6 percent increase from Q2, 2008 and a 4 percent increase from Q4, 2008," Ipsos Reid said in a press release.
The study found that access at home is almost universal for those under 55 years of age as 89 percent of those aged 18 to 34 and 87 percent of those aged 35 to 54 have Internet access at home.
But people over 55 are not as connected as their compatriots younger than them, says the study. But they are catching up.
"Only 69 percent of those aged 55+ have access at home," Ipsos Reid said. "The older generation is the fastest growing segment of online users, quickly catching up to the younger generations in their adoption of the Internet. By comparison, in Q1, 2006 only one-half (57 percent) of those aged 55+ had Internet access.”
Dial-up access is in the last stages of use as only 8 percent of Internet-enabled Canadians access the Internet through this method, while about eight in ten are using some form of high speed access.
Interestingly, there has also been a rise in the last 18 months of an ‘other’ category – widely suspected to be Mobile Broadband Sticks, Netbooks and Smartphone users.
“Internet Service Providers have done an excellent job of moving consumers up the value chain into higher speed offerings,” concludes Laver.
“However, I also think that we are beginning to see the newest wave of access through mobile devices. This could be the next big growth phase for the Internet," he said.
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