Men more confident than women in broadband knowledge, FCC survey shows

Men know more than women about how quickly they connect to the Internet — or so they say, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Gauging how well Americans understand their home broadband speeds, the survey found 90 percent of women admit that they do not know how quickly they connect, but only 71 percent of men fess up to the same lack of awareness.

Meanwhile, women are more likely to believe the promises of AT&T, Verizon and Comcast. The survey found 5 percent more women than men say the speed they get at home is equal to the speed advertised by their provider (22 percent of men versus 27 percent of women).

The gender divide persists in mobile connectivity. Women were more likely to say they are very satisfied with this part of their service, by a 9 percent gap (38 percent versus 29 percent).

Gender aside, the FCC said it wants every body to have a better grasp of his or her connectivity status. “The more broadband subscribers know about what speeds they need and what speeds they get, the more they can make the market work and push faster speeds over broadband networks,” FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in a statement.

A handful of FCC initiatives seek to improve consumer awareness on the issue. The agency released a public notice Tuesday seeking comment on the best ways to measure mobile broadband speed, including how consumers can use speed measurements to get better service. The agency is also planning a study of home broadband speeds based on data from 10,000 volunteers who have special hardware installed into their homes. The agency provides consumers a ways to test their broadband speed through its website.

The FCC’s survey ran nationally over the telephone in April and May 2010.