Most Business Have Broadband, No Plans to Upgrade, Survey Finds

The Federal Communications Commission released the results of its Business Broadband Capability Survey conducted Dec. 2009 through Jan. 2010, confirming that businesses and broadband go hand-in-hand. The survey found that almost all businesses (95 percent) reported having at least one broadband connection. Most of those businesses (73 percent) had a DSL or dedicated line connection.

Other key findings:

• Over half (54 percent) of businesses do not know their purchased Internet connection speed.
• 63 percent of businesses report they are very satisfied with their current service
• For businesses planning to upgrade their service, running new applications and improving communication with customers were the most reasons cited to do so.
• 85 percent of businesses surveyed were not planning to upgrade their service in the next 12 months. A skepticism that speed would improve productivity and concerns about cost were the major reasons for not upgrading.
• The most common uses of broadband were for buying products or supplies, researching and advertising online.
• Overall, the media for spending on broadband was $125 per month, while the mean was $2,198.
• The median for small businesses spending on broadband was $95.00 per month.