New Consumer Focus research - 'Broadband Minded' (.PDF) - has found that money is not the only barrier preventing low-income consumers from connecting to the Internet, many ‘non-connected’ consumers simply see the technology as irrelevant to their lives.

While cost remains significant, the research highlights a range of alternative reasons for not getting connected from fears about viruses, personal data scrutiny and new technology, to how internet access will affect face-to-face communication with friends and family.


The study notes a number of interesting facts that we've rarely seen mentioned before. For example, the commonly touted benefits of ‘online savings’ are not relevant to many low income consumers because they do not have bank accounts or the credit facilities needed to take advantage that.

Benefits, or incentives, that low income consumers said would encourage them online include the ability to; make money by selling items on sites such as eBay; search for employment; research for educational purposes; keep in touch with friends and family and access home entertainment channels.

While the research shows many low income consumers to be resistant to getting online and view other activities and expenditures as more important, those who have adopted the internet said they could no longer live without it.