Investigating the Impact of Broadband on Consumers’ Time Use on Daily Life Activities in the United Kingdom

The aim of this study is to conduct a cross-sectional analysis of broadband’s impact on a consumers time use on daily life activities. Specifically, this paper aims to achieve the following two objectives: first, to examine and compare the online habits of both broadband and dial-up users; and second, to examine and compare the impacts of both broadband and dial-up on a consumer’s use of time upon daily life activities. The study was conducted using a postal survey. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to 1600 households and a total of 358 completed questionnaires were obtained from the respondents. The study provides evidence that significant changes in the total time spent on-line and Internet usage frequency can occur when people use broadband technology. The paper also suggests that consumers of broadband and dial-up are different in terms of time allocation pattern on daily life activities.