Connectivity

The latest Household Use of Information Technology, Australia report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that -

• ihe number of households with internet access at home continues to increase, reaching 7.3 million households in 2012–13 (i.e. 83% of all households, up from 79% in 2010–11).
• 77% of all households had access via a broadband connection.
• almost every household with children under 15 years of age had access to the internet at home (96%), compared to 78% of households without children under 15 years of age in 2012–13. 
• the greater the household income the more likely there is internet access at home. In 2012–13, 98% of households with household income of $120,000 or more had internet access, compared to 57% of households with household income of less than $40,000.
• some 81% of the online households accessed the internet at home every day. A further 16% accessed the internet at home at least weekly
• 76% of Australia's 15.4 million internet users (i.e. people aged 15 and over who accessed the internet from any site within the previous 12 months) made a purchase or order over the internet
• the most popular types of purchases were travel, accommodation, memberships or tickets. Travel, accommodation, memberships or tickets of any kind were the most common type of purchase for both male and female users. 
• the second most popular online shopping items for females were clothes, cosmetics or jewellery (59%), in comparison to males second most popular purchases of CDs, music, DVDs, videos, books or magazines (50%).
• there is a slightly higher proportion of male than female internet users (84% compared to 83%)
• over 76% of female internet users shopped online compared to 75% of male internet users.  
• the two most popular activities performed on the internet at home were paying bills or banking online and social networking. 
• Social networking was more common for younger people: 90% of the 15 to 17 year old cohort and 92% of the 18 to 24 year old cohort performed this activity.