The Really Slow Download Squad: 62% of dialup users don't want high-speed

by Jay Hathaway Jul 4th 2008

As you might guess from the name of our blog, we download a LOT of software, and it's a little scary to contemplate how much bandwidth we collectively use every day. So, trying to imagine a time when we felt like a dial-up connection would suit our needs is pretty difficult. But that's exactly how 62% of U.S. dialup users feel, according to a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life project.

The economy isn't doing so hot these days, so you'd think that the additional cost of a high-speed connection would be the deciding factor for these folks, but it turns out that only a third of them cited cost as their reason for sticking with dial-up. 19% gave the mystifying answer that nothing -- not even a huge decrease in the cost -- would make them give up their dial-up. The study posited that they just don't spend enough time online to need it.

[via Slashdot]

Tags: broadband, dial-up, dialup, internet access, InternetAccess, isp, trends

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Richard said 10:04AM on 7-04-2008

I think that a number of people who have dial-up still don't realise quite how much more time they would actually spend online if they had a reasonable connection speed. I seem to remember saying exactly the same thing "Why do I need broadband I don't spend anytime using it?". It turned out that the reason I didn't spend anytime using it was that it was unusable. Now I cannot imagine not having it.

Ethan said 1:24PM on 7-04-2008

I think some people don't like the idea of things downloading so fast that they might not be able to stop it. I'm thinking of users who generally think their computer is doing things spontaneously without them telling it to do so. Probably heard some scare story or associate it with pirates.

Rocketboy said 1:36PM on 7-04-2008

Is the economy doing bad?
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/07/dire_news_from_my_colleagues.html

Anyways...

This is why I get irritated about the 'Digital Divide'. Many people don't want or need the internet. We still have free libraries, free TV, free Radio, etc.

chris joseph said 1:42PM on 7-04-2008

My usage patterns changed dramatically once I was subscribed to an "always on" high-speed connection. Perhaps those people who remain dialup restricted by choice know they'd turn into voracious net-beasts once enabled with broadband. I bet they live in shacks out in the sticks, just like Ted Kaczynski.

etat said 4:50AM on 7-05-2008

Some people think that broadband is less secure, because it is 'always on'.

Glenn Tobey said 10:50AM on 7-05-2008

The reason I switched was because I paid 22.95 for MSN and DSL is 14.95 (3Mbps) FOR AS LONG AS I KEEP THE SERVICE

Samuel Lago said 7:06PM on 7-07-2008

Funny that, I was just finishing the Sunday Times todays when I noticed on page 32 (near the back page) an advert from Virgin media boasting that they have the only true Fibre Optical network in the UK. We all know of a report in the same paper a few weeks back that BT are not going to roll fibre optics out the UK households until... well... 30yrs from now ~and they're not 'sure' if people really want it to boot!

Anyway, I got onto them about their prices and such; it turns out that they have opticals networks covering a lot of the country but not all, not me in Hammersmth, London anyway, and that the lead to the house is copper - apparently its illegal to thread an optical cable into the house.

Their domestic packages are upt to 20Mbits p/s and that is sharing with 50 other users! (not that FO can't handle 50 people simultaneously)..hmm I thought, not really Fire Optics is it, so then I found out that the Business arm (run by NLl) offered the real meat, but at a cost.

If ou want 100MB p/s you can have it, all Iknow is 2MB p/s sharing with 12 users will cost £6k/yr and 20MB p/s will cost £20k/yr - for a deciated line of your own. Apparently they do 1GB p/s also - I didn't ask the price.

Yes its going to be a long wait for us home users.

vancouverwashington said 5:19PM on 9-04-2008

Don't have high-speed partly because of cost.

But I can also see myself more internet addicted than I already am. I may one day find a justification to sign-up and then God help the housework.

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