Connected Nation research shows $300,000 advantage for broadband users
Connected Nation recently posted a blog article called The $300,000 Advantage that shared information about their 2012 Jobs & Broadband Report . This research shows that American businesses that use broadband continue to grow and hire at a pace that exceeds their competitors that do not use broadband technology.
2012 Jobs & Broadband Report shows the need to connect more businesses across the nation. According to their post, “Bridging the digital divide can help level the playing field and give U.S. businesses a better chance at competing and finding success in the global market.”
Businesses in the United States today are utilizing websites to expand their footprint in the marketplace, conduct online sales, and expand their revenues dramatically. The numbers speak for themselves:
- 4.4 million U.S. business establishments have websites, including more than 2 million businesses with fewer than five employees.
- Businesses using broadband bring in $300,000 yearly in additional revenue in comparison to their competitors without broadband.
- Over 2.4 million businesses report revenue from online sales–nearly ⅓ of all businesses.
- Online sales account for $411.4 billion in annual sales for U.S. businesses.
Broadband access and adoption will ensure that more businesses are able to take advantage of the opportunities for marketing, research, education and social interaction.
In 2009 Connected Nation was chosen as the designated broadband mapping entity for 12 states and one territory under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded Broadband Data Improvement Act. In 2009 and 2010 Connected Nation partnered with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to work with public libraries in 20 states in a project called Opportunity Online, which brought together local libraries and community stakeholders to discuss and plan broadband sustainability efforts. Those states are: Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Ohio, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington. Connected Nation state initiatives contributed to the National Broadband Map data that covered approximately 42% of the nation’s landmass; reached 39.5 million households; and included more than 1,200 broadband service providers.
Other Connected Nation work includes Connect Ohio’s Every Citizen Online, which provides free computer training sessions at public libraries, community colleges, community organizations, and educational centers throughout Ohio, and Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids, which is an effort to increase sustainable broadband adoption and provide computers and training to more than 60,000 disadvantaged youth across Tennessee.
This year marks 10 years of Connected Nation working to bring greater broadband availability to the nation.
