By a slim margin, dialup Internet connections are now a minority in the United States, with just over half of U.S. Net connections coming through broadband, according to a new survey by Neilsen/NetRatings.
63 million home users are now said to be connecting through broadband, with 61.3 still on dialup, and Neilsen/NetRatings said the growth was fast enough, as in 49 percent last month and 38 percent at this time in 2003 having broadband.
“Despite a plateau in the growth of U.S. Internet access, we’ve seen continued high double-digit growth in users’ broadband access,” said Nielsen/NetRatings senior director Marc Ryan. “We expect to see this aggressive growth rate continue through next year when the majority of Internet users will be accessing the Internet via a broadband connection.”
Nielsen/NetRatings said broadband connections were highest among those 34 years old and younger, compared to those 35 and older, with the 18-20 year old group showing the highest percentage of broadbanders at 59 percent, with 25-34 year olds at 55 percent, and teens and 21-24 year olds at 53 percent. Senior citizens ages 65 and older had the lowest percentage of broadband, 34.
“Not surprisingly, the younger set of adults, kids and teens, who grew up with PC technology, have the highest penetration of broadband access,” Ryan said. “The norm of waiting for a page to load has gone by the wayside through increased broadband access. With high-speed access in the majority, we're likely to see the richer, more interactive content becoming the standard.”
Nielsen/NetRatings also determined the top ten Internet brands on combined home and office Web surfing are, from 1-10, MSN, Yahoo, Microsoft, AOL, Google, eBay, MapQuest, RealNetworks, Amazon, and Lycos.
