A new study released by Ipsos Reid shows that more than eight in ten Canadians (82%) have Internet access at home. That's a six per cent increase from Q2, 2008 and a four per cent increase from Q4, 2008.
“Even in difficult economic times, Canadians understand that having Internet access is essential in today’s society,” noted study author Mark Laver, Associate Vice President with Ipsos Reid. “Internet access is critical to finding employment, it can be used to save money, for paying bills, finding deals, and as a form of entertainment. It has become so important to the lives of Canadians, that in some areas of the country, Internet access is almost identical to home telephone access.”
The Online Trends and Activities study found that access at home is almost universal for those under 55 years of age as 89% of those aged 18 to 34 and 87% of those aged 35 to 54 have Internet access at home. In comparison, only 69% of those aged 55+ have access at home.
“The older generation is the fastest growing segment of online users," Laver continued, "quickly catching up to the younger generations in their adoption of the Internet. By comparison, in Q1, 2006 only one-half (57%) of those aged 55+ had Internet access.”
Dial-up access is in the last stages of use as only 8% of Internet-enabled Canadians access the Internet through this method, while about eight in ten are using some form of high speed access. Interestingly, there has also been a rise in the last 18 months of an ‘other’ category – widely suspected to be Mobile Broadband Sticks, Netbooks and Smartphone users.
“Internet Service Providers have done an excellent job of moving consumers up the value chain into higher speed offerings,” concluded Laver. “However, I also think that we are beginning to see the newest wave of access through mobile devices. This could be the next big growth phase for the Internet.”
Information is based on the findings of an Ipsos Reid syndicated study, the Inter@ctive Reid Report.
For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1,002 adult Canadians was interviewed by telephone from July 6-10, 2009. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within ± 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population of Canada been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other subgroupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.
For full tabular results and more information, visit www.ipsos.ca.
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader and the country’s leading provider of public opinion research. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 300 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in Canada, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and on-line panels. Ipsos Reid’s Canadian marketing research and public affairs practices are staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, offering the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada—including the Ipsos Trend Report, the leading source of public opinion in the country—all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.