Half of Americans say home broadband is essential % of U.S. adults who say home high-speed internet access is
These policy debates are occurring at a time when roughly nine-in-ten Americans describe high-speed internet service as either essential (49%) or important but not essential (41%). Only about one-in-ten Americans say that high-speed internet access is either not too important (6%) or not important at all (3%).
Republicans and Democrats tend to agree that broadband is important, but Democrats are more likely to say it is essential: 58% of Democrats and Democratic leaners describe broadband in this way, compared with 38% of Republicans and Republican leaners. A similar split is evident by race and ethnicity, with blacks (55%) and Hispanics (61%) more likely than whites (45%) to say that high-speed access at home is essential.
Half of Americans say home broadband is essential  | % of U.S. adults who say home high-speed internet access is  | Not  | Important, but Not too important  | Essential  | not essential  | important at all  | U.S adults  | 49%  | 41  | White  | 45  | 46  | Black  | 55  | 30  |  | 10  | Hispanic  | 61  | 28  | 8  | Rep/Lean Rep  | 38  | 51  | 8  | 3  | Dem/Lean Dem  | 58  | 34  | Have broadband  | 52  | 42  | 42  | at home  | Do not have  | 15 10  | 36  | 38  | broadband at home  | Source: Survey conducted March 13-27 2017.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 