Some 24 percent of U.S. rural households had high-speed internet connections at the end of 2005, compared with 16 percent in 2004 and 9 percent in 2003, but less than the 39 percent of urban and suburban households in 2005 (up from 22 percent in 2003 and 27 percent in 2004), write CNET and the AP, citing figures from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Rural areas tend to lag in internet use because for cable and DSL providers the cost of infrastructure per customer is higher, and because a larger percentage of rural Americans are over 50 and rural incomes tend to be lower.
However, when considering those who use dial-up or have access to the internet at work, 62 percent of rural dwellers use the internet on any given day, compared with 70 percent elsewhere.
