Final answer:
By the end of 2016, close to three-quarters of households in the Americas were connected to the Internet, reflecting high levels of connectivity which align with U.S. data from 2013-2017.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to recent reports, close to three-quarters of households in the Americas and half of those globally were connected to the Internet by the end of 2016. This answer is informed by data indicating that in the period of 2013 to 2017, about 78 percent of U.S. households had Internet access, meaning the situation in the Americas can plausibly reflect a similar level of connectivity. However, the digital divide persists, particularly in rural and low-income areas, where rates of home Internet adoption fall below the national average.
Furthermore, a significant number of minority groups, notably Hispanic and Black Americans, rely on smartphones as their primary means of Internet access, which can limit the types of activities they can undertake online. Meanwhile, global Internet connectivity has seen vast increases, reaching billions of people and resulting in an explosion of web use and website creation by 2015.