Not too long ago, the idea that wires could eventually become obsolete might have seemed like science fiction. Today, wireless is the broadband du jour. According to a study on mobile access that the Pew Internet & American Life Project released last week, there has been a significant increase in mobile use in 2010. The report found that 59 percent of all American adults go online wirelessly, an 8 percent increase from last year’s report.
An article posted on PC World suggested that the increase that the study observed in wireless Internet access for leisure and entertainment purposes is likely attributed to the explosive popularity of smartphones. The study also highlights an increasing trend in minority wireless broadband users: “Nearly two-thirds of African-Americans (64%) and Latinos (63%) are wireless internet users, and minority Americans are significantly more likely to own a cell phone than their white counterparts.” CDF’s Ray O’Connell recently wrote a letter to the editor that ran in the Ocala Star Banner applauding states with updated policies that allow new technologies such as wireless broadband to expand. O’Connell’s letter commends the government’s plans to increase spectrum, noting “the additional spectrum should go a long way toward assuring that all wireless broadband providers will be able to meet the exploding demands of their customers.” With the ability to connect literally in the palm of our hands, it is no wonder that more and more people are joining the world of Wi-Fi.
To read the full Pew report, please click here.
