RTC Communicator for Winter 2019

WINTER 2019 7 Devices are Filling Up Our Days and Our Homes Internet-connected devices have clearly become integral parts of our lives, and smartphones and tablets are only part of the picture. Pew Research Center reports that nearly three quarters of U.S. adults now own desktop or laptop computers. 2 The popularity of smart homes and the Internet of Things (IoT) is also increasing the number of devices in use. Check out these statistics from NCTA – The Internet & Television Association: 3 • 71 percent of U.S. broadband households own a connected entertainment device. • Streaming video made up 76 percent of all consumer internet traffic in 2017. • Currently in the U.S. there are approximately eight networked devices per person, a number expected to climb to 13.6 per person by 2022. • In the U.S. smart speaker market alone, adoption grew from 66.7 million devices in December 2017 to a staggering 118.5 million just one year later. What do all these numbers mean to you? Well, they provide a number of things to consider when choosing the speed of your home’s internet connection. For example, think about how many internet-connected devices are now in your home. Has the total number gone up recently? Then maybe your internet speed needs to go up as well. You’ll also want to keep in mind that streaming video requires more bandwidth, so if your family is frequently frustrated by buffering when trying to watch TV, it may also indicate the need for an internet upgrade. RTC can help you assess your household’s internet usage and determine the best internet plan to meet your needs. In 2020, we’ll launch the myRTC TV app to pair with your internet service and provide an excellent streaming expe- rience. For more details, call 888.862.3115. 1 https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/smartphone-addiction/#chapter2 2 https://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/mobile/ 3 https://www.ncta.com/whats-new/iot-has-quietly-and-quickly-changed-our-lives If you have the feeling people are on their smartphones all day long, you’re almost right. According to bankmycell.com , the average user will tap, swipe, or click their smartphone 2,617 times a day, and the average combined time spent on smartphones and tablets is 4 hours 33 minutes a day. 1 RTC Has the Speed You Need for 2020 Start the new year and the new decade with a new RTC Internet plan that’s a step up in speed. We offer speed levels ranging from very fast to unbelievably fast, each with an internet-only option with no phone line required. Check out the monthly pricing of our residential RTC Internet plans: Download x Upload Phone Line Required Internet Only 100 Mbps x 100 Mbps...............................$54.95........................................................... $74.95 250 Mbps x 250 Mbps...............................$79.95........................................................... $99.95 500 Mbps x 500 Mbps...............................$99.95........................................................... $119.95 1 Gig x 1 Gig....................................................$149.95........................................................ $169.95 Live your best life in 2020 with RTC Internet—your best streaming, your best video chats, your best online gaming, and more! To test your current internet speed and sign up for a faster one, visit rtc.coop/internet.