Ohio Broadband Use Grows Faster than U.S.
:: 30 June, 2010
More Ohioans own a computer and subscribe to broadband service than last year. With 66% of Ohio residents subscribing to broadband, Ohio ranks higher than the national average of 60% of adults who have high-speed Internet service in their home, a new report shows.
“We’re pleased by the increases in technology and broadband adoption numbers across the state,” said Tom Fritz, executive director of Connect Ohio, which issued the report. “But we’re concerned that 1.6 million adults across the state still don’t have access to a home computer." The research indicates that 67% of those who don’t have a computer at home don’t believe or understand why they need one, he said. The typical Ohio resident who uses the Internet owns a computer (82%), searches for product and service information online (77%), uses e-mail (86%), participates in social networking sites (52%), purchases goods online (74%), takes part in online banking (62%), pays bills online (61%) and books travel arrangements online (58%), according to the 2010 Technology Assessment Report.
More Ohioans using technology in the home is welcome news as the state reports improving job growth numbers, Fritz noted.
Increased broadband use can have a significant impact in improving economic conditions -- luring businesses to communities and helping people save money and access better job opportunities through the Web. According to a report from the Brookings Institution, broadband investment can create more than 500,000 new jobs over the next five years. An economic impact report produced by Connected Nation shows that Ohio could see an economic impact of $5.1 billion by accelerating broadband availability and use to enable new job growth, telecommuting opportunities, and health care cost savings, among other benefits.
Connect Ohio is a nonprofit, technology-neutral, public-private partnership that works with telecommunications providers, business and community leaders, information technology companies, researchers, public agencies, libraries, and universities in an effort to help extend affordable high-speed Internet service to every Ohio household.
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Tags: Ohio Broadband , high-speed Internet , Internet service , subscribing to broadband ,
