USA - the spread and speed of broadband

The need for Internet speed - broadband penetration increased more than 300 per cent since 2002

112 million U.S. Adults Have Broadband in Their Household San Francisco, Boston and San Diego are Top Local Markets for Broadband Penetration

Broadband penetration* increased more than 300
percent since 2002, according to a new analysis from consumer and media research
firm Scarborough Research. In 2002, 12 percent of U.S. adults had a broadband
connection in their household. Now, almost half (49 percent) have broadband – an
increase of more than 300 percent, bringing broadband penetration to a mainstream
level. In terms of types of broadband connections, DSL connections grew more than
cable modems, but both have expanded significantly. Since 2002, cable modem
penetration increased 188 percent, while DSL connections increased 575 percent. The
data in this analysis is from Scarborough’s USA+ database, which is a nationally
syndicated consumer study covering a sample of more than 220,000 adults ages 18 and
older.
San Francisco is the top local U.S. market for broadband penetration according
to Scarborough. Sixty-two percent of adults in San Francisco live in a household that has
a broadband Internet connection. Other top broadband markets include Boston and San
Diego. In these cities, 61 percent of adults have a broadband connection in their
household.
“There is obviously an increasing need for more high-speed Internet connectivity
as it enables fast and efficient delivery of rich media content,” said Gary Meo, senior vice
president of digital media services, Scarborough Research. “Consumers clearly are
demanding more speed in order to upload, download, post and interact with content in a
Web 2.0 environment.”