Broadband Use Keeps Climbing

By: Ann M. Mack (Adweek IQ) The number of surfers accessing the Web via a high-speed connection at home surpassed 21 million during November, a 90% increase from 2000, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. In other words, one out of every five surfers accessed the Web through a broadband connection.

"Surfers continue to seek high-speed connections for quicker Internet access, faster downloads, and more aggressive Internet usage," said T.S. Kelly, director and principal analyst, NetRatings. "Broadband surfers tend to log on to the Internet more often, stay online longer, and are more likely to shop online than narrowband users."

As the use of broadband increases, so does the number of people consuming streaming media. More than 12.7 million broadband users accessed streaming media content at home in November, jumping 94% from the previous year.