Broadband Data Quality:Issues for random digit dial surveys

Progress & Freedom Foundation and Center for Public Integrity workshop

John B. HorriganAssociate Director for Research

June 2007 2

Broadband penetration in the U.S., 2000-2007Broadband penetration in the U.S., 2000-2007

Home Broadband & Dial-Up Penetration (% of adult Americans)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Jun-

00

Oct

-00

Feb

-01

Jun-

01

Oct

-01

Feb

-02

Jun-

02

Oct

-02

Feb

-03

Jun-

03

Oct

-03

Feb

-04

Jun-

04

Oct

-04

Feb

-05

Jun-

05

Oct

-05

Feb

-06

Jun-

06

Oct

-06

Feb

-07

Broadband Dial Up

June 2007 3

How does broadband adoption rate stack up?

• To reach 50% to consumer adoption it took:– 18 years for color TV– 15 years for the cell phone– 14 years for the VCR– 10 ½ years for the CD player

• Broadband should hit 50% by 9-10 year mark.• Happy dial-up users?

– Some 60% of dial-up users say they don’t want broadband, a figure that held constant from 2002-2005

June 2007 4

Speed matters – narrow vs. broadband– Home high-speed connection is key

differentiator in explaining internet usage patterns• Do more things online on the typical day

than dial-up users• Spend more time online than dial-up users

– Generally higher levels of internet impacts in: –Maintaining social networks –Getting information (e.g. civic

engagement, news gathering)–Helping in major life decisions

June 2007 5

Does more speed matter?

• Hard to rely on self-reports from users on network speed

• Asked home high-speed users whether they know their connection speed…– 17% said yes– 81% didn’t know

June 2007 6

Challenges

• Measuring network speed & quality• Knowing network availability• Cell phone only users:

– General problem for survey research– Looms larger & sooner for surveys on tech

usage