The most recent National Survey on the Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Households (ENDUTIH) 2021 confirmed that open television continues to be the most powerful means of communication among Mexicans. According to the data from said survey, 70.4% of Mexicans watch open television and at least 91% of the population have a television in their homes. This may come as a surprise to some, however, when it comes to breaking news locally, nationally or globally, TV and its newscasts continue to be the most trusted source of information. In the same way, it happens with sporting events in which the audiences get together to witness said events as a family.
On the other hand, the survey revealed that in 2021 there were 88.6 million internet users, this figure is equivalent to 76.5% of the population over six years of age. This figure is equivalent to an increase of 4.1 percentage points compared to 2020. There is a slight difference between men and women in terms of internet consumption. 74.8% of women use the Internet, while 76.5% of men use it.
One of the data that is of great interest is the use between rural and urban populations, as well as the geographical areas of the country. Perhaps these differences are the most useful for INEGI and the decision-making processes in public policies. In 2021, 81.6% of the urban population was an internet user, compared to 56.5% of the rural population. This great digital gap points to the urgent need to invest in technology and education in rural areas of the country so that growth is homogeneous.
As in previous years, the survey revealed that the southeastern states faced greater lags in connectivity. The most obvious example is the state of Chiapas, in which less than half of the population aged six or older is an Internet user (46.1%). Similarly, Chiapas is the state with the lowest use of cell phones, with only 55.6 percent penetration.
An additional fact that is surprising is that pay television is an item that has had a constant fall during the last five years. This indicates that this technology is the one that has had the greatest competition from digital media. As a reference, in 2016, 52.1% of the population was subscribed to some pay TV system. In 2021 only 43.3% remain subscribed.
All this data is of value to industry observers in such a way that we can reduce the digital divide and make better decisions that point towards greater equality.
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