Only 50 Percent of Homes in the Continental US Receive True Broadband Internet Access, NPD Group Finds

The new Broadband America report from The NPD Group reveals that only 50 percent of homes in the continental US have true broadband speed of 25 Mbps download or higher. In fact, 34 percent of homes receive internet access at speeds of less than 5Mbps, including 15 percent that do not have any internet access. Vermont, West Virginia, New Mexico, and Mississippi are among the least connected states, while New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland, and California are among the most connected. In Vermont only 24 percent of homes receive broadband speeds, while in New Jersey 65 percent of homes do. According to NPD’s Rural America report, more rural and less connected areas of the US have far lower ownership levels of connected devices, as well as a higher level of price sensitivity for technology products ranging from TVs to streaming media players and beyond. In fact, while TV unit sales are roughly the same across rural and non-rural areas, the average price is 40 percent lower. When looking at streaming media players, unit sales are nearly 60 percent lower in rural areas.