Broadband numbers 'through the roof'

Broadband usage in New Zealand has doubled over three years. Photo / Supplied

More than one million New Zealand homes used broadband to connect to the internet in 2009, double the number from three years ago.

The Household Use of Information and Communication Technology Survey from Statistics New Zealand shows 80 per cent of people now use the internet and that of those only 12 per cent now use dial-up, compared with 31 per cent in 2006.

Homes in rural areas were less likely to have broadband than those in urban areas, with half of those who use dial-up citing cost as the main reason for remaining on their current connection.

However numbers are rising, with one in two rural homes now having a broadband connection, compared with just one in five in 2006.

The three-yearly report compiled from a survey of 15,000 New Zealand households also showed that three-quarters of New Zealand households have access to the internet at home, up 38 per cent on 2001.

Sending or receiving emails was the most common internet activity (72 per cent), while 37 per cent said they used the internet for social networking.

Meanwhile those in the 25-44 year age group were most likely to make an online purchase.

The report also showed more than 60 per cent of all households had a digital television connection, a statistic which was not gathered in the last report.

Mobile phone use has also increased during the last three years from 80 per cent in 2006 to 85 per cent in 2009.

Interestingly, the largest increase was seen in individuals aged between 65 and 74 of nine percentage points to 67 per cent.

- NZ HERALD STAFF