62% of Farms Have Internet

Posted by Chad Vorthmann on Aug 16, 2011 in Rural Life, Social Media | 0 comments

A total of 62 percent of U.S. farms now have Internet access, compared with 59 percent in 2009, according to a report released Friday by the Agriculture Department’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Sixty-five percent of farms have access to a computer in 2011, up 1 percentage point from 2009, according to the report.

The number of farms with broadband Internet access also continues to climb. Among the 62 percent of U.S. farms that have Internet access, 38 percent use DSL broadband technology, up 2 percent from two years ago. Roughly 20 percent of the farms use some form of wireless broadband Internet access, while about 15 percent turn to satellite broadband access. Cable access accounts for about 11 percent. Dial-up Internet access is falling fast on U.S. farms.

The proportion of U.S. farms owning or leasing a computer in 2011, at 63 percent, was up 2 percentage points from 2009, according to the report. Farms using computers for their farm business remained virtually stable at 37 percent in 2011 compared to 36 percent in 2009.