Why broadband? The meaning of broadband for residential users

Connectivity, by means of mobile phones or via the Internet, seems to be a common good in Europe. The e-strategy from the EU, in the late 1990s, was focused on connecting everybody to the Internet. Although not completely successful in reaching this target (only 52% of the households in the EU (EU25) have an Internet connection at home, while only 32% of the households have a broadband connection), the access to the Internet as such is no longer the standard. For the realisation of the new i2010 strategy it is assumed that everybody will have access to a high-speed broadband connection. But what exactly constitutes a ‘broadband connection’ and what are its benefits? Why are high-speed connections so important and why do people switch (or have to switch) to such an enhanced connection? In this article, we will explore the meaning of broadband for residential users. This exploration is based on a profound literature study of different primary and secondary sources, in order to address the following three questions: ! What are the benefits of broadband for residential users? ! What are enablers and barriers for switching to broadband? ! How do people use their broadband connection?