| The number of broadband users in U.S. homes
increased by 35.9% in 2004. The growth of broadband users in the home
outpaced the growth at work by 14.5%.
In December, broadband penetration among active Internet users in the
U.S. grew by 1.1 percentage points to 54.69%. 45.31% of US home users dial
into the Internet with "narrowband" connections of 56Kbps or less.*
The charts below, derived from Nielsen//NetRatings data, show trends in
connection speeds to the Internet for United States users.
Home Connectivity in the US:
In December 2004, most active Internet users connect from home with
broadband connections. Among narrowband users, 37.71% use 56Kbps modems,
4.85% use 28/33.3Kbps, and 2.75% use 14.4Kbps modems. In total, 45.31% of
home users in the US connect to the Internet at 56Kbps or less (see Figure
1). http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/0501/
Broadband Growth in the US:
Broadband penetration in the US grew by 1.1 points to 54.69% in December, up
from 53.59% in November. This increase is above the average increase in
broadband of 1.0 point per month over the previous twelve months. Broadband
share in the US should exceed 70% by December of 2005 (see Figure 2).
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/0501/
Work Connectivity:
Most workers in the US enjoy high-speed connections to the Internet. Most
use a high-speed line such as a T1 connection, and share bandwidth between
computers connected to an Ethernet network. The speed of each connection
decreases as more employees hook up to the LAN. As of December of 2004, of
those connected to the Internet, 81.39% of US users at work enjoy a
high-speed connection, up 0.49 percentage points from 80.9% in November. At
work, 18.61% connect at 56Kbps or less (see Figure 3). http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/0501/
U.S. Broadband Users Up 35.9% in 2004:
Over the past year, the number of broadband users in US homes grew by over
35.9%, according to figures provided by Nielsen//NetRatings. The growth in
broadband users at work grew by 21.4%, trailing the growth rate in US homes
by 14.5% (see Table 1). This lower growth rate is understandable, given the
higher broadband penetration rate at work of 81.4%. Overall, U.S. broadband
penetration grew by 11.84 percentage points from 42.85% in December 2003 to
54.69% in December 2004. Meanwhile over in the United Kingdom takeup has
nearly doubled. The Register reports that by summer 2005, 99.6% of British
homes and businesses will have access to DSL-based broadband.
Growth in Broadband Users (U.S., Unique Audience)
Location Dec. 2003 Dec. 2004 Increase
Home 51,096,054 69,431,802 35.9%
Work 34,732,004 42,165,169 21.4%
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings http://www.netratings.com/
About The Bandwidth Report: http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/
The Bandwidth Report is a monthly roundup of connectivity trends in the US
and elsewhere. Each month's bandwidth report offers the latest statistics in
Internet connectivity and broadband trends, including:
- Home Connectivity in the US
- Broadband Growth in the US
- Work Connectivity
- Broadband Trends in the US, Canada, and other countries
About Web Site Optimization: http://www.websiteoptimization.com
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