Broadband

Nearly two-thirds of those age 65 and older go online and a record share now own smartphones – although many seniors remain relatively divorced from digital life.

As the FCC continues to address broadband infrastructure and access, Americans have mixed views on two policies designed to encourage broadband adoption.

The long-standing divide in internet use between U.S. Hispanics and whites is now at its narrowest point since 2009, as immigrant and Spanish-dominant Latinos make big strides in going online.

Discussions of the “digital divide” often touch on race and ethnicity – and the narrative is usually that whites lead in technology adoption while other racial or ethnic groups struggle to keep up. But that's not the case for English-speaking Asian Americans.

Americans view trouble in finding work or advancing one’s career as the most significant impediment facing those without broadband.

The share of Americans with broadband at home has plateaued: It now stands at 67%, down slightly from 70% in 2013. At the same time, more Americans rely only on their smartphones for online access.

The internet is a central resource for Americans looking for work, but a notable minority lack confidence in their digital job-seeking skills.

A new Pew Research Center analysis finds low-income households, especially black and Hispanic ones, make up a disproportionate share of the 5 million with school-age children that lack broadband access.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans now own a smartphone. 19% of Americans rely to some extent on a smartphone for internet access, but the connections to digital resources that they offer are tenuous for many of these users.