Industry news

Unreliable bandwidths 'switch off the over-30s'

The fact bandwidths vary depending on a number of factors has been identified as one of the elements which is stopping older people downloading more often.

News editor at Web-User Magazine Ben Camm-Jones claims technical issues play a key part in dissuading the over-30s from becoming involved.

Identifying the different trends in the under and over-30s, he suggests key contributing factors which allow younger people to engage more fully with the internet include basic technological awareness.

Mr Camm-Jones suggests a number of older people are content not learning to use newer technology and will continue to use older modes of delivery such as television and buying physical products such as CDs and DVDs.

He believes younger people are also likely to feel peer-pressure to use the latest online services, to experiment with gadgets and to accumulate the most media content.

Despite this, the news editor suggests it is the fact old people who have a bad experience due to the unreliability of bandwidths will often be "put off".

Earlier this year, a study by ABI Research found 65 per cent of those over the age of retirement have never used streaming media resources.