Internetuseup78%

byEricBeauchesne,SouthamNews

OTTAWACanadianfamilies,particularlyinBritishColumbia,areblastingoffforcyberspaceataphenomenalratewiththeproportionsurfingtheInternetfromhomenearlydoublingoverthepastyear.

"In1997,anestimated13percentofhouseholdswillusetheInternetfromtheirhomecomputers,upfrom7percentin1996,"StatisticsCanadasaidyesterdayinitsreportonwhat'sinandwhat'soutinhomesacrossthecountry.

Theagency'sannualsurveyofabout35,000households,conductedinMay,suggeststhat1.5millionhouseholdsnowhaveaccesstotheNet,comparedwith843,000lastyear.That'sanincreaseof78percent.

InternetusefromhomewashighestinBritishColumbiaat18percent,followedbyOntarioandAlbertaatabout15percenteach.Usewasaround10percentorlessintheAtlanticprovinces,QuebecandSaskatchewan.

ThesurgeinInternetuseechoestherapidgrowthincomputersinhomes.About4.2millionhouseholds,or36percent,currentlyhaveahomecomputer,upfrom3.6millionlastyear.

ButCanadiansarealsoloadinguponotherhigh-techgadgets,particularlycellularphones,withnearly20percentofhouseholdshavingone,upfrom14percentin1996.

"Decreasingpricesandincreasedtargetingofthehomemarkethave likelycontributedtothisincrease,"StatisticsCanadasaid.Alberta hasthegreatestproportionofhouseholdswithcellphonesat26percent, whileNewfoundlandislast,at8percent.

Otherhothigh-techgadgetsnowalmostcommonplaceinhomesincludevideo cassetterecorders(85percent)andcompactdiscplayers(58percent).

Andincreasingdemandsonworkandfamilytime,withbothspousesworking in61percentofhusband-wifefamilies,havepromptedtherapidacceptance ofappliancesthatofferconvenienceandtime-savingfeatures,Statistics Canadasaid.

Theseincludemicrowaveovens,nowin86percentofhomes,anddishwashers, inalmosteverysecondhousehold.

Thesurveyalsosuggeststhatalotoffamiliesarenotsweatingover therecentincreaseinmortgageratesorthethreatofmoreincreasesto come.

Almosttwo-thirdsoffamiliesowntheirownhomeandnearlyhalfare mortgagefree.