76% of US households polled would find it "very difficult" to live without their high-speed internet

The availability of high-speed internet may become more and more important, particularly as the social impetus to self-isolate in order to prevent more COVID-19 cases grows. In fact, many may see it as an essential resource by now.

A 4Q2019 study of US households with broadband appears to underpin this. Not only did over 75% of the respondents report that it would be harder to live without this connectivity, 60% of the same said they would cancel any paid TV services before they would do the same with their Wi-Fi.

Once, internet services were sold as an add-on by companies that also sell traditional TV subscriptions. Now, the situation has changed to the point that it is virtually the other way around. The 2019 study found that people who hold streaming subscriptions are more likely to have standalone broadband plans as well: in other words, they have cut the cord by now.

Therefore, the study report's authors, Parks Associates, now recommends that more internet service providers (ISPs) bundle over-the-air video services with their products. Currently, less than 20% of the respondents reported having the same. Finally, the group plans to conduct follow-up research starting in April 2020 so as to assess the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on this study's conclusions.