Information on How Broadband Affects Postal Use and the Communications Options for Rural Residents

Broadband use has in recent years been associated with reduced use of FirstClass Mail. Continued declines as a result of broadband, however, are uncertain.

Broadband access to various Internet services, especially online bill paying, is associated with reduced use of transaction mail, a subset of First-Class Mail. GAO analysis of the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) Household Diary Survey (HDS) data from 2007-2014 found that households using broadband to access Internet services tended to send less transaction mail than other households, controlling for age, income, and education. However, GAO found that in recent years broadband use may not have had a statistically significant effect on correspondence mail, a subset of First-Class Mail that includes letters and greeting cards. GAO found that rural households tend to visit post offices more regardless of broadband use.