Overview

The number of Americans with access to high-speed Internet connections either at home or work is growing. As of March 1, the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds that 68 million adult Americans log on via broadband either at home or work. Fully 48 million adult Americans have broadband connections at home.

Impatience with tiresomely slow dial-up connections seems to tip home users into the broadband column, and this impatience plays a larger role than price of service in home adoption. Broadband in the home is increasingly the norm for the wealthier and better educated in America, as well as long-time Internet users. But there is evidence that relatively novice Internet users are moving from dial-up to broadband more rapidly than before. Highlights from this report include: 55% of all adult Internet users - or 34% of all adult Americans - have access to high-speed Internet connections either at home or on the job. Secondly, 39% of adult Internet users - or 24% of all adult Americans - have high-speed access at home, an increase of 60% since March 2003. Third, a surge in subscription to DSL high-speed Internet connections, which has more than doubled since March 2003, is largely behind the growth in broadband at home. And, DSL now has a 42% share of the home broadband market, up from 28% in March 2003.