LRG: 81 percent of U.S. households can access a broadband connection

Although it's far from perfect, a new Leichtman Research Group (LRG) report confirmed that U.S. consumers like broadband services.

LRG said in its new report, "Broadband Access & Services in the Home 2015," 81 percent of US households get a broadband Internet service at their residence, up from 26 percent in 2005.

The research firm said that of all households that can get Internet access at home, broadband now makes up 97 percent of all households, an increase from 91 percent in 2010 and 40 percent in 2005.

One of the interesting elements of how people access the Internet is the growing use of smartphones.

While PCs and laptops remain a dominant method of access, LRG said that 69 percent of adults access the Internet on a smartphone. The use of smartphones to access Internet services rose from 44 percent in 2012. At the same time, 78 percent of consumers who have a home broadband connection also access the Internet on a smartphone -- up from 52 percent in 2012.

In addition to smartphones, the use of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPads and tablet computers is rising. Nearly 3.5 percent of all households have an iPad or tablet, but do not use a laptop or desktop computer -- an increase over 1 percent in 2013.

Broadband may have also become the dominant foundation to access online video services like Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) and Hulu, but LRG said that only 13 percent of households that subscribe to a broadband service don't subscribe to a linear TV service. Meanwhile, 68 percent of households get both broadband and pay-TV services.

For more:
- see the release

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