Poll: More Californians Relying on Only Smartphones for Broadband Connectivity

The percentage of California households with access to broadband continues to rise, with 84 percent now having connectivity, according to an annual survey released on Friday.

In 2014, the figure was only 75 percent. Over the same two-year time period, the proportion of households that connect to broadband only through a smartphone grew from 8 percent to 14 percent.

The data (PDF download) was compiled from more than 1,600 phone interviews last month with California adults. The Field Poll conducted the survey in partnership with the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF).

As the numbers show, most of the increase in broadband Internet connectivity is due to the growing prevalence of smart devices.

"While this is enabling more to get online, these smartphone users have more limited functionality than those connecting from a desktop, laptop or tablet computer for doing homework, applying for jobs and college, banking online, or taking online classes," CETF said, noting that some smartphone plans come with data caps.

This, CETF says, is creating what some have called a segment of "underconnected" Californians.

Here are other noteworthy data points from the poll:

• A smaller proportion of the state’s Spanish-speaking Latinos (69 percent) than others have access to
  broadband Internet at home, and just 39 percent connect to the Internet through a home computing device.

• Among those without Internet access at home, 39 percent said the reason is it's either too expensive or they don't have a computer or smartphone at home.

• Older Californians are among the least connected, with just 56 percent having access to broadband
  Internet at home, according to the survey.

• Compared to their urban counterparts, rural Californians remain underconnected, according to the survey.

• Majorities surveyed say they are accessing the Internet to manage their money or bank online (70 percent), get health or medical information or communicate with a health-care provider (66 percent), search for job opportunities (60 percent), learn about or access government services (57 percent), and gain new career skills or take classes online (53 percent).

“The Annual Survey details how the lowest-income, least-educated and most-rural Californians are living without an essential tool to access the educational, employment, health-care and civic engagement opportunities that lead to greater economic opportunities and a better quality of life,” said Sunne Wright McPeak, president and CEO of CETF. The organization's mission is to close the digital divide in California. “We call on the California Legislature to refund the California Advanced Services Fund and to pass the Internet for All Now Act to ensure digital access and digital literacy for all. High-speed Internet access is a 21st-century civil right.”

The baseline annual survey, done in 2008, showed California at 55 percent home broadband adoption.