WASHINGTON—A new report reinforces why credit unions need to continue to invest in mobile, finding that nearly one-in-five Americans depends on their cell phone for consistent Internet access, while a growing consumer segment uses their phones as their only means of accessing the web.
Younger Americans, those who are poor and those with less education are more likely to rely on their phones for Internet access, according a study released by the Pew Research Center. African-Americans and Latinos are also more likely than whites to lack other means of accessing the Internet.
“The traditional notion of ‘going online’ often evokes images of a desktop or laptop computer with a full complement of features, such as a large screen, mouse, keyboard, wires, and a dedicated high-speed connection,” the report noted. “But for many Americans, the reality of the online experience is substantially different. Today nearly two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone, and 19% of Americans rely to some degree on a smartphone for accessing online services and information and for staying connected to the world around them — either because they lack broadband at home, or because they have few options for online access other than their cell phone.”
Seven percent of Americans own a smartphone but have neither traditional broadband service at home, nor easily available alternatives for going online other than their cell phone. The report examined the unique circumstances of this “smartphone-dependent” population.
Key Findings
Nearly two-thirds of Americans are now smartphone owners, and for many these devices are a key entry point to the online world—64% of American adults now own a smartphone of some kind, up from 35% in the spring of 2011. Smartphone ownership is especially high among younger Americans, as well as those with relatively high income and education levels, the report stated.
10% of Americans own a smartphone but do not have any other form of high-speed internet access at home beyond their phone’s data plan.
One-in-five American adults (19%) indicate that at least one of the following conditions apply to them, and 7% of the public says that both of these conditions apply: They do not have broadband access at home, and also have relatively few options for getting online other than their cell phone.
Certain groups of Americans rely on smartphones for online access at elevated levels, in particular:
- Younger adults — 15% of Americans ages 18-29 are heavily dependent on a smartphone for online access.
- Those with low household incomes and levels of educational attainment — Some 13% of Americans with an annual household income of less than $30,000 per year are smartphone-dependent. Just 1% of Americans from households earning more than $75,000 per year rely on their smartphones to a similar degree for online access.
- Non-whites — 12% of African Americans and 13% of Latinos are smartphone-dependent, compared with 4% of whites.
“Compared with smartphone owners who are less reliant on their mobile devices, these smartphone-dependent users are less likely to own some other type of computing device, less likely to have a bank account, less likely to be covered by health insurance, and more likely to rent or to live with a friend or family member rather than own their own home,” Pew said.