Study: Broadband in homes changes media habits

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by T.W. Rabbit

(IDG) -- A faster connection draws people more deeply into the Web--and away from their TV and radio entertainment, a new study shows.

In homes with broadband connectivity, people spend roughly the same amount of their "media time" online, watching television, and listening to radio, according to the study, "The Broadband Revolution: How Superfast Internet Access Changes Media Habits in American Households," released through the National Association of Broadcasters.

In the average American home (without a broadband Internet connection), a resident typically spends 33 percent of his or her "media time" with television, followed by radio at 28 percent; the Internet trails at 11 percent. But in a home with broadband access, the study finds, a person typically spends 21 percent of her or his "media time" online, close to the 24 percent of the time spent watching television and 21 percent listening to radio.

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Also, in general, people with broadband access spend 22 percent more time on all electronic media and entertainment than the average American household, the study finds. The boost largely comes, predictably, from increased Internet use. People with broadband access at home spend an average of 134 minutes online daily, which is 61 percent more than households with only dial-up access.

The study was conducted by Arbitron, a media and marketing research firm, and Coleman, a media research firm specializing in music, trends, and branding.

Broadband Booming

A separate study, released earlier by the Federal Communications Commission, estimates that more than 1 million homes and small businesses have broadband access. In fact, broadband services are having trouble keeping up with demand.

"This study provides clear evidence that we've only begun to see the Internet's true impact on media usage," says Warren Kurtzman, vice president of Coleman. Associate Pierre Bouvard, executive vice president of Arbitron, notes that people with broadband also make more online purchases than those without.

"Broadband catapults the Internet to a position on par with television and radio in terms of media time spent," Bouvard says.

The National Association of Broadcasters was gratified to learn that people aren't turning to Internet radio because they're dissatisfied with traditional radio. The study says satisfaction with radio remains high in households with broadband. But 31 percent of those households have tried Internet-only audio channels, as well as downloading and streaming information online--likely because it's far more feasible than with dial-up connections.

The study shows 49 percent of people with broadband-equipped homes have tried streaming audio, compared to 20 percent of the U.S. population.

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