Nielson defines Internet access penetration as "the percentage of people aged 2 and over living in households equipped with a fixed line phone, who have home access to the Internet, though not necessarily logging online during a specific timeframe".
OK, let's be fair:
75% of Americans above the age of 2, (not to be confused with the per centage of American homes) have a landline telephone
Because this same group has a landline telephone, is is technically possible to access the Internet...who knows, Aunt Sue might show up at the door with her laptop and say. "Hey, let's get online!"
This same group with access as described above, may or may not log online "during a specific time" (whatever that means)... perhaps it is time to check the specific logon time schedule. See the full PDF here. Nielson made great headlines with this one...but whose tail are they chasing? (And...if this cynicism is out of line, the apology is ready and waiting)
With Stats Like This, We Can Wipe Out The Technology Gap
A few days ago, Neilson//NetRatings ran a brief report proclaiming that Three out of Four Americans Have Access to the Internet. Stop the music! Does that mean that 75 percent (74.9% to be precise) of our population above the age of 2 has access to a device at home to surf the Web? Well, that is not clear. If a person has a landline telephone, then they technically have 'access' to the internet...albeit, 'access' may require a long distance or toll call. What was NOT asked in the survey was whether or not the home was equipped with some sort of device (typically, a home computer) to take advantage of that 'access'.