Presented by Cecil Prescott at the Social Digital Research Symposium (4th July 2012)

1. ONS Internet Access Surveys
Cecil Prescott
4 July 2012

2. Internet Access surveys
• Annual survey
• Quarterly survey
• Internet users by age
• Internet users by disability
• Summary of available published data
• Links to publications

3. Internet Access surveys
• Internet Access - households and individuals - annual
• Internet Access - quarterly update

4. Annual survey
• ONS began publishing annual Internet Access
estimates in 2006
• Some questions change each year as use of the
Internet develops
• Sample size of 3,300 allows limited socio-
demographic breakdowns
• Publication contains data on household Internet
access and adults’ use of the Internet

5. Annual survey
In 2011:
• There were 17.6 million mobile phone Internet users,
representing 45 per cent of Internet users
• 6 million people had accessed the Internet over their
mobile phone for the first time in the last 12 months
• 4.9 million adults used wireless hotspots, almost
double the number in 2010
• 77 per cent of households had Internet Access

6. Quarterly survey
• “Internet Access – Quarterly Update” introduced in
response to Raceonline2012’s need for more data on
Internet users and non-users
• Larger sample of 41,000 each quarter enables more
detailed socio- demographic breakdowns than the
annual survey
• Results from the quarterly and annual surveys are
not directly comparable, due to different data sources
and methodologies
• Quarterly estimates now regarded as the official UK
estimates of ever or never used the Internet

7. Quarterly survey
At 2012 Q1
• 16 per cent of adults (8.1 million) had never used the
Internet
• 84 per cent of adults (42.2 million) had ever used the
Internet
• Non-users tend to be older, have disabilities and are
on lower incomes
• Less than 1 per cent of 16-24 age group had never
used the Internet
• 73 per cent of 75 + age group had never used it

8. Internet users by age group

9. Internet non-users by disability

10. Summary of published data
Quarterly data on Internet users and non-users;
• UK estimates, by age group, sex, disability, region
and earnings
Annual data on household Internet Access;
• How people access the Internet and what people
do online
• GB estimates by age group and sex

11. Internet Access publications
• Annual Internet Access - Household and Individuals
2011 bulletin:
• http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access---
households-and-individuals/index.html
• Internet Access Quarterly Update 2012 Q1 bulletin:
• http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access-quarterly-
update/index.html

12. Contact details
esociety@ons.gov.uk
cecil.prescott@ons.gov.uk
Tel 01633 456767