GAO 'Uncertain' Whether Broadband Reduces USPS Mail
Rising broadband adoption may not reduce the amount of physical mail for the U.S. Postal Service, the Government Accountability Office said in a Wednesday report. “Broadband use has in recent years been associated with reduced use of First-Class Mail,” GAO…
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said. “Continued declines as a result of broadband, however, are uncertain.” GAO analyzed USPS data from 2007-2014 and found that households with broadband internet service tend to send less transaction mail than other households. But broadband hasn’t had a statistically significant effect on letters and greeting cards, it said. Rural households without broadband tended to send more mail than others, it said. GAO couldn’t find a consensus of experts on the impact of broadband to mail -- four of the 11 consulted predicted decreases in first-class mail, but several others “suggested that Internet privacy and security concerns, as well as many individuals having already changed postal habits in response to the Internet, are among the factors that could be contributing to a slowed rate of ‘electronic diversion’ from mail.” Also, e-commerce has increased the number of packages handled by USPS, especially in rural areas, GAO said. GAO found no statistically significant relationship between broadband use and in-person post office visits. GAO didn’t make any recommendations and USPS didn’t comment on a draft of the report.