Internet Coverage and Usage in Ireland 2023

Introduction

This chapter looks at the type of internet connectivity that households have, analysed by household type, among other things. In this survey, respondents were asked about the types of internet connection that they have at home. They may have a fixed broadband connection (such as cable, optical fibre, satellite, etc.) or mobile broadband connection (via the mobile phone network with minimum 3G) or in some cases, narrowband connection (dial‐up access over normal telephone line or ISDN or mobile narrowband connection of less than 3G). Persons may have more than one type of internet connection at home, and this chapter covers household internet access and type of connection used. What this chapter will highlight is that fixed broadband is the most popular type of internet connectivity, with almost all households with children having internet access.  For those households without internet connectivity, over half state that they don’t need access to the internet (as a reason for not having internet access in their house).

Almost all households with children have internet access

Key findings of households with internet access:

• Almost all households with dependent children have internet access. This compares with just over four in five (82%) households comprised of one adult with no dependent children. See Figure 3.1 and Table 3.1.
• In 2023, 94% of households have an internet connection, unchanged from 2022.
• Household internet connectivity was highest for the Dublin region (96%), compared with the Border and Midland regions (91% of households in these regions).

Fixed broadband usage is highest in Dublin, lowest in Border region

Key findings for type of internet access:

• Fixed broadband is the most common type of internet access in the household (86% of households compared with 31% using mobile broadband). See Table 3.2.
• Fixed broadband connection is highest in the Dublin region at 91% of households, compared with the Border region (79% of households). See Figure 3.2.
• There are differences in fixed broadband connection between households based on relative affluence (deprivation quintiles). Fixed broadband connection is most common for households in very affluent areas at 90% of households. For households in very disadvantaged areas, 85% have fixed broadband connection, and over eight in every ten (83%) households in disadvantaged areas have a fixed broadband connection in their home. 
• Mobile broadband internet connection was most common in households made up of just one adult with no dependent children, at 36% of these households, while fixed broadband connectivity had 76% penetration for these households. 

Note that more than one type of internet connection may be used in households.

Over half of households with no internet access say they don’t need the internet

Key findings for reasons for not having the internet:

• Of households with no internet access, over half (56%) reported that the reason for no access was that they do not need the internet. See Figure 3.3 and Table 3.3.
• Over one-quarter of households with no internet access (27%) reported lack of skills or knowledge as a reason for not having household internet access. 
• Equipment costs too high and access costs too high were cited by 12% and 7% of households respectively as the reason for not having a household internet connection.
• One in sixteen (6%) of these households with no internet connectivity reported that broadband internet was not available in their area.
• One in eight (13%) stated that they had access to the internet elsewhere (at work, local library, etc.) as a reason for not having household internet connectivity. 

Note that more than one reason may have been selected by respondents.