The 2008 Broadband Improvement Act mandated the collection of data about computer and Internet use. As a result, three questions were added to the 2013 American Community Survey (ACS) to measure these topics. Data about computer and Internet use were derived from answers to Question 9, Question 10, and Question 11 on the 2013 ACS, and are asked of all occupied housing units.
The computer use question (Question 9) asked if anyone in the household owned or used a computer and included three response categories for a desktop/laptop, a handheld computer, or some other type of computer. Respondents selected a checkbox for "Yes" or "No" for each response category. Respondents could select all categories that applied.
Respondents who checked "Yes" for the some other type of computer category are asked to write in descriptions of their computer types. These are mostly used for internal purposes, although some people may write in a type of computer that can be reclassified as a desktop/laptop or handheld computer.
Question 10 asked if any member of the household accesses the Internet. "Access" refers to whether or not someone in the household uses or connects to the Internet, regardless of whether or not they pay for the service. Respondents were to select only ONE of the following choices:
Yes, with a subscription to an Internet service - This category includes housing units where someone pays to access the Internet through a service such as a data plan for a mobile phone, a cable modem, DSL or other type of service. This will normally refer to a service that someone is billed for directly for Internet alone or sometimes as part of a bundle.
Yes, without a subscription to an Internet service- Some respondents may live in a city or town that provides free Internet services for their residents. In addition, some colleges or universities provide Internet services. These are examples of cases where respondents may be able to access the Internet without a subscription.
No Internet access at this house, apartment, or mobile home- This category includes housing units where no one connects to or uses the Internet using a paid service or any free services.
If a respondent answers "Yes, with a subscription to an Internet service" to Question 10, they are asked to select the type of Internet subscription in Question 11. Respondents select a checkbox for "Yes" or "No" for each of seven types of services: dial-up, DSL, cable, fiberoptic, mobile broadband, satellite, or some other service. Respondents could select "Yes" for all categories that apply.
If a respondent selected "Yes" to the "some other service" category, they are asked to write in a description of the type of Internet service. These codes are primarily used internally, although some people may write in a type of Internet service that can be reclassified into another category such as DSL, fiber-optic or satellite service.
These data will be used by a variety of government agencies, local communities, and other data users. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will use these statistics to measure the nationwide development of broadband access, as well as the successful deployment of the next generation of broadband technology. These data will also allow the FCC to develop measures to increase access to broadband technology and decrease barriers.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will use these data to provide grants that help expand public access to broadband service and fund broadband education and support, particularly to groups that have traditionally underutilized broadband technology.
State and local governments may be able to use these data to evaluate access to broadband in their communities, and institute policies and programs to increase access for areas with less connectivity. Businesses and non-profits can use these statistics to analyze computer and Internet usage in their communities.
Question/Concept History - The computer and Internet use questions were added to the ACS in 2013 and were mandated by the 2008 Broadband Improvement Act.
Limitation of the Data - These questions are not asked for the group quarters population, so would not include data about people living in housing such as dorms, prisons, nursing homes, etc.
For more information, visit the ACS website (
http://www.census.gov/acs).
Comparability - Data prior to 2013 are not available because 2013 was the first year that these questions were collected using the ACS.
Data about computer and Internet use also has been collected sporadically from the Current Population Survey (CPS) since 1984. Both surveys exclude those living in group quarters. However, users should note CPS data is not necessarily comparable to ACS data in several important ways. First, unlike the ACS, some CPS questions are asked at the person level. In addition, the CPS questions and answer categories have changed multiple times over the years. Therefore, comparable data may not be available for certain questions during some years. In addition, some questions may appear to have similar wording as the ACS questions, but may not have been asked of the same type of people.
