Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2010-11 Each country must analyze and address these fac-tors on a case-by-case basis since certain impediments Addressing the demand components of the broad-band ecosystem requires new tools for policymakers, to adoption may be important in some countries, but less of an issue in other countries. For example, based on consumer surveys of non-users of Internet services in Brazil2 and non-users of broadband in the United States,3 Figure 3.2 shows how some factors weigh more heavily than others. High costs are the main obstacle in both countries, although cost plays a larger role in Brazil than in the United States. By contrast, lack of access is a main factor for non-adoption for many more Brazilians than Americans. and should be grounded in a comprehensive diagnosis of the reasons for non-adoption of broadband and ICTs. Understanding the reasons for lack of adoption of broadband services will be essential for designing ade-quate policies to promote the development of broad-band and ICT services over the next decade. Once non-adopters have Internet access available through either wireline or wireless networks, the cost of access and devices, digital literacy and relevance of services tend to be the main obstacles to becoming a subscriber. This is true in both developed and developing countries, as shown in Box 3.1. Box 3.1: Inhibitors to Adoption and Use of Broadband Services The main inhibitors to adoption and use of broadband services include: • Lack of access: Deployment of high-speed broadband networks is the first step towards increasing adoption rates. In Ghana, for example, one-fifth of non-users cite difficulty accessing the Internet as the main obstacle to adoption. • Costs: Although non-adopters may have broadband connectivity available, they may not be able to afford either the cost of subscribing to broadband services or a computer, or both. • Digital literacy: Some non-adopters can access and afford broadband service, but do not subscribe because they are unfamiliar with or uncomfortable using a computer or are concerned with the security of data and privacy on-line. In Kenya and Ghana, more than 50 per cent of non-adopters cite not knowing how to use the Internet as the main reason for non-adoption. The percentage of adults who do not know what the Internet is comprises 35 per cent of Ghanaians and 41 per cent of Kenyans. • Relevance: Instead of, or in addition to, the above three factors, non-adopters may not be interested in the content delivered using broadband and consider the Internet to be a waste of time. In Ghana, of those who have used the Internet, more than half only went online for basic functions (e.g., email, news and search functions). Source: Hannah Bowen, Africa Development Research Series: Ghana, InterMedia, (March 2010). Figure 3.2: Reasons for Non-Adoption of Internet in Brazil and Broadband in the United States Sources: NIC Brasil, Análise dos Resultados da TIC Domicílios and FCC, Broadband Adoption and Use in America. Chapter 3 87