More than 1 in 3 rural households with children face internet insecurity

Bowling Green, Ky (September 15, 2025) - Connected Nation (CN)’s newest report shows that nearly one-third of the rural households we surveyed are considered “internet insecure.” In other words, these households experienced a situation in the past year where their home internet situation changed — either they subscribed to home internet service but experienced a lapse in service, or they used to subscribe but no longer do.

This includes more than one-third of households with children (34%), 42% of young adults aged 18 to 34, and 35% of adults with disabilities.

Most studies have looked at internet adoption as a binary issue – either a household currently subscribes to home internet service or they do not. Advocates and policymakers are now starting to recognize this “in between” population.

Having an on-again off-again internet subscription puts families at risk of losing access to educational, health, and job opportunities. That’s why it is important to consider the many issues that impact stable broadband connectivity (including costs and service reliability) to make sure that Americans not only get connected but stay connected.

You can read more about this study here. You can also stay informed about CN’s efforts to close the Digital Divide for all Americans by following us on Facebook, X, or Instagram.