53% of all US households now subscribe to a broadband high-speed Internet service at home, according to Leichtman Research Group. Broadband services now account for about 72% of all home Internet subscriptions – compared to 60% last year. Broadband adoption is strongly tied to household income. Just 45% of households with annual incomes below $30,000 subscribe to an Internet service at home – compared to 92% of households with annual incomes above $75,000. Broadband penetration among active Internet users grew to 82.18% in US homes in May, up over 10 percentage points from 71.76% last year.
Home Connectivity in the US
US broadband penetration grew to 82.18% among active Internet users in May 2007. Narrowband users connecting at 56Kbps or less now make up 17.82% of active Internet users, down 0.42 percentage points from 18.24% April 2007 (see Figure 1).
Web Connection Speed Trends – Home Users (US)
Figure 1: Web Connection Speed Trends – Home Users (US)
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings
Broadband Growth Trends in the US
In May 2007, broadband penetration in US homes grew 0.42 percentage points to 82.18% up from 81.76% in April. This increase of 0.42 points is below the average increase in broadband of 0.86 points per month over the last six months (see Figure 2).
Broadband Adoption Growth Trend – Home Users (US)
Figure 2. Broadband Adoption Growth Trend – Home Users (US)
Extrapolated from Nielsen//NetRatings data
Work Connectivity
As of May 2007, 93.99% of US workers connected to the Internet with broadband, up 0.43 percentage points from the 93.46% share in April. At work 6.01% connect at 56Kbps or less (see Figure 3).
Web Connection Speed Trends – Work Users (US)
Figure 3: Web Connection Speed Trends – Work Users (US)
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings
Further Reading
- Leichtman Research Group
- LRG research notes of 2Q 2007 reported that 53% of all US households now subscribe to a high-speed broadband Internet service.
- Nielsen//NetRatings
- Provided the US broadband penetration data for active Internet users for the Bandwidth Report.
- Point Topic
- Worldwide broadband subscribers approached 300 million at the end of March 2007. “Given the prevailing growth rates it is safe to assume that the number has now passed 300 million,†says Katja Mueller, Research Director at Point Topic. June 13, 2007.