September 29, 2005

According to Nielsen//NetRatings the number of Americans with broadband access at home reached 42 percent of the U.S. population in August, increasing 16 percent since the beginning of this year.

In January 2005, 103.8 million Americans had broadband access; by August, that figure had grown to 120.8 million. These figures were compiled from the Nielsen//NetRatings panel and report the connection speeds of those with Internet access at home.

The news brief goes on to say:

in August 2005, the percent of active U.S. Internet users connecting online via broadband from home reached an all-time high, at 61.3 percent, compared with 51.4 percent of active Internet users in August last year...In contrast, fewer Internet surfers are using a narrowband connection to go online. Among at-home Internet users, those using a narrowband connection have decreased by 10 percent since August last year, from 60.6 million to 54.3 million in August 2005. Currently, 38.7 percent of active Internet users continue to rely on a narrowband connection, compared with 48.6 percent in August 2004.