Record numbers using broadband

The total number of broadband users at-home in the United States surpassed 21 million during the month of November, setting an all-time high, according to Nielsen//NetRatings (www.nielsen-netratings.com). One out of every five surfers accessed the Internet via broadband connection, reaching a record 20 percent of 106 million active Internet users.

Broadband audience growth is outpacing the overall growth of the active Internet universe. The number of surfers accessing the Internet via a high-speed connection in November jumped 90 percent from 2000. By comparison, the active Internet universe grew 11 percent from November 2000 to 2001. Twenty percent of the active Internet population accessed the Internet via broadband in November, as compared to nearly 12 percent one year ago.

The increase in broadband use brings along with it an increase in Streaming media usage. In November, 12.7 million broadband Internet surfers consumed streaming media content at-home, jumping 94 percent from the previous year. The overall streaming population grew 18 percent year-over-year from 34.4 million to 40.7 million. The proportion of broadband to narrowband streamers has continued to increase, growing to 31 percent of the total streaming population, as compared to 19 percent last year.

Narrowband surfers comprised a smaller percentage of the streaming audience. In November 2001, 69 percent of the streaming audience accessed the Internet via narrowband, as compared to 81 percent the previous year.

www.cyberatlas.internet.com