DURHAM, N.H.—New consumer research from Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) highlights just how ubiquitous internet service has become. The new LRG survey finds that 92% of U.S. households get an Internet service at home, significantly up from 83% in 2018 and 76% in 2008.
Very notably, the survey also found that most of the connections could be considered higher-speed broadband and that consumers were generally satisfied with their service.
In terms of broadband, LRG reports that broadband accounts for 98% of households with an Internet service at home, and 90% of all households get a broadband Internet service – an increase from 81% in 2018 and 57% in 2008.
The research found that 60% of broadband subscribers are very satisfied (8-10 on a 1-10 scale) with their Internet service at home, while 5% are not satisfied (1-3). Satisfaction with broadband is as high as in any year in the past decade, and compares to 53% who reported being very satisfied in 2018, and 59% in 2013.
These findings are based on a survey of 1,767 households from throughout the United States and are part of a new LRG study, Broadband Internet in the U.S. 2023. This is LRG’s twenty-first annual study on this topic.
“The percentage of households getting an Internet service at home, including high-speed broadband, reached an all-time high over the past year,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc. “This year’s study found that 92% of households get an Internet service at home, an increase from 85% in pre-pandemic 2019. Broadband subscribers are generally content with their services, with 60% reporting that they are very satisfied overall, and 70% agreeing that their Internet service meets the needs of their household.”
Other important findings include:
- 70% of broadband subscribers agree (8-10) that their Internet service meets the needs of their household, while 5% disagree (1-3).
- 64% of broadband subscribers rate the quality of the speed of their Internet connection 8-10 (with 10 being excellent), higher than any year in the past decade, including 53% in 2018 and 58% in 2013. Just 3% rate speed 1-3 (with 1 being poor).
- 42% of broadband subscribers do not know the download speed of their service – compared to 59% in 2018.
- 22% of broadband subscribers report that their provider is the only one available in their area – compared to 27% in 2021 .
- 87% of households use at least one laptop or desktop computer, and 96% of this group get an Internet service at home.
- Those that do not use a laptop or desktop computer at home account for 64% of all that do not get an Internet service at home.
