Dwelling Internet Connection (NEDD)
This variable records whether any member of the household accesses the internet from the dwelling. This variable is applicable to all occupied private dwellings enumerated in the 2016 Census.
How this variable is coded
Dwelling internet connection data is captured automatically from a mark box on the form so the risk of processing error is minimal. In a small proportion of cases (testing has indicated that this is less than 0.9%), respondents provided an incorrect number of responses (respondents are asked to mark one response). In these cases the first box marked in the order they appear on the form is accepted and the subsequent responses are rejected.
Variable history
Data on internet and computer use by individuals was collected for the first time in the 2001 Census. In 2006 and 2011, a question on dwelling internet connection asked whether private dwellings had an internet connection and about the type of connection (i.e. broadband, dial-up or other) was used at each dwelling. The 2016 question asks whether private dwellings have any people who access the internet from the dwelling, without details of the type of connection.
Non-response rate
Item non-response rates are a measure of how many questions were not responded to as a proportion of the total number of questions applicable to the dwelling. In this instance the response is left as not stated.
The majority of item non-response is attributable to the households who did not respond to the Census at all. Refer to item non-response rates for more information. The second and smaller contributor to item non-response is when people return a Census form but may not answer a particular question(s). For more information, refer to Understanding Census data quality.
The non-response rate for this variable was 7.6%, (7.0% in 2011).
Data usage notes
Data gained from this question provides information about the number and characteristics of people who lack access to the internet and may therefore be in danger of social exclusion. The data gained from this question can be used with other data to allow the fine level of disaggregation required by users.
Further information
A definition of Dwelling internet connection is available in the 2016 Census Dictionary.
Additional sources of information regarding internet usage can be found in Internet Activity, Australia, December 2016. This contains details of internet activity supplied by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with more than 1,000 active subscribers.
Household form question image
Question 59 as it appeared on the 2016 Census Household Form:
A text only version of the online Census Household form is available from the Downloads tab.
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