More Homes Relying Only on Smartphones for Online Access, Pew Surveys Find

Home broadband adoption has plateaued, the number of smartphone-only households has increased and 15 percent of adults have become cord cutters, new Pew Research Center surveys released Monday said. The percentage of consumers in the country adopting broadband is at 67 percent, down from 70 percent in 2013, one of the surveys said. While 68 percent of Americans said they have a smartphone, 13 percent said they use their smartphone for their Internet access instead of buying a broadband connection, it said. That figure is up from 8 percent in 2013. Those who have only a smartphone run into challenges such as more frequently having to cancel or suspend service due to financial constraints, running into data-cap limits and not being able to fill out job applications, a report about the findings said.