Number of broadband users rising rapidly

It is estimated that 69 million US Internet users will be using a broadband connection by the end of the year, an increase of 12.6% from last years figure of 61.3 million. By 2011, this figure is expected to reach 115 million. Broadband is quickly being accepted as the medium of choice when it comes to Internet connections. According to a report by In-Stat, a business and technology research firm, 51% of broadband subscribers use cable modem and 44% use a DSL line.

The rise in the number of broadband users has been seen across the world as well, with 65 million new broadband users signing up in the past year. By 2011, the number of broadband users across the world is likely to reach 567 million, as compared to 285 million that it is today.

“The principal market driver for the adoption of broadband service is pretty straightforward: people want to access the Internet with a higher-speed connection,” Paxton says. “Beyond this basic desire, the emergence of online applications such as viewing video clips or TV programming, downloading music files, and even playing online games are fueling end-user demand for fatter pipes.”