The use of broadband in the US has risen dramatically over the past decade, growing nearly 7-fold from 2001 to 2009 (see Figure 1). However, there are disparities among different socio-economic groups. The US Department of Commerce recently released a report analyzing these “broadband adoption gaps” to highlight where the private sector and the US government can focus their efforts to bring broadband access to all Americans (NTIA 2010).
The Bandwidth Report Category: US
Two-Thirds of Americans on Broadband – US Broadband Growth Slows – August 2010 Bandwidth Report
Two-thirds of adult Americans (66%) use a high speed Internet connection at home, according to a recent survey by PEW Internet. US broadband penetration is up only 3 percentage points over the same time a year ago however, when broadband penetration stood at 63% in April 2009. While most demographic groups showed slow growth, African-Americans were a major exception.
US Needs Broadband Czar Says FCC – US Broadband Penetration Nears 90% among Active Internet Users – June 2008 Bandwidth Report
Michael Copps of the FCC said that the US needs a “broadband czar” to coordinate how government agencies promote broadband. At a recent meeting in North Carolina to promote the state’s spread of broadband, speakers emphasized the need for a coordinated effort in the US in order to compete worldwide. Meanwhile in the US, broadband penetration approached 90% in May, only a rounding error away. Overall, US broadband penetration in less than 60% among US households, and is ranked 17th worldwide.
US Drops to 22nd in Broadband Speed Worldwide – Fastest Broadband Cities: College Towns – US Broadband Penetration Drops to 95.2% Among Active Internet Users – April 2010 Bandwidth Report
The US dropped to 22nd place in broadband connection speed worldwide in a recent study by Akamai. The fastest broadband cities in the US are college towns, according to the same study. The top 10 US cities averaged four times faster than the average US broadband speed of 3.8Mbps. Meanwhile broadband penetration among active Internet users dropped to 95.17% in March 2010.
Apple Bites into Microsoft’s Streaming Media Lead – US Broadband Penetration Grows to 95.3% Among Active Internet Users – March 2010 Bandwidth Report
Who will get the biggest piece of the streaming media pie? By sometime next year it could very well be Apple. Driven primarily by the rapid growth in iTunes, Apple’s players are becoming more popular, while Microsoft and RealPlayer are flat or losing market share (see Figure 1). Meanwhile, broadband penetration among active Internet users grew slightly to 95.33% in February 2010.
Study: Two-Thirds of World Mobile Subscribers – US Broadband Penetration Grows to 95.1% Among Active Internet Users – February 2010 Bandwidth Report
Over two-thirds of the world’s population have a mobile phone subscription, according to a recent report by the ITU.
Mobile subscriptions drive wireless broadband growth,
with mobile broadband growing faster than fixed broadband lines and second only to mobile phone growth itself.
Meanwhile in the US, broadband penetration grew to 95.1% among active Internet users
in January 2010.
US Broadband Penetration Drops to 25th Worldwide – US Broadband Penetration Crawls to 94.55% – January 2010 Bandwidth Report
The US dropped to 25th place worldwide in broadband penetration by household, according to a recent survey by Point Topic. From Q2 2009 to Q3 2009 US broadband penetration by household fell from 22nd place to 25th place. Meanwhile, broadband penetration in US homes inched up to 94.55% in December 2009.
US Stays at 15th Place in Broadband Penetration Worldwide – Worldwide Broadband Statistics – June 2010 Bandwidth Report
The US remained at 15th place in broadband penetration worldwide, according to a recent survey by the OECD. While the US led all countries surveyed in total broadband subscribers, it came in 11th place in high speed fiber penetration.
Study: Americans Lead World in Broadband Use – US Broadband Penetration Jumps to 94.5% – December 2009 Bandwidth Report
North America and the US are the heaviest users of the Internet, surpassing Europe and Asia according to a recent study. Despite remaining in 15th place overall in broadband penetration (OECD 2009), the US leads the world in broadband users, and is essentially tied for second with France in overall usage, behind only South Korea. Among active Internet users, broadband penetration in US homes jumped to 94.45% in November 2009.
FCC Identifies Broadband Gaps – US Broadband Penetration Grows to 93.3% – November 2009 Bandwidth Report
The FCC has identified key broadband gaps in US broadband policy. A Harvard study commissioned by the FCC found that open access to broadband lines through local loop “unbundling” is one key factor in fostering widespread adoption of broadband in the US and other countries. Meanwhile in the US broadband penetration among active Internet users grew to 93.27%.