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FCC: Broadband Usage Has Tripled Since 2001
Brainsur writes "According to Newsfactor more and more Americans are migrating to high-speed Internet service, with the number of broadband subscribers tripling in recent years, according to a comprehensive report from the Federal Communications Commission. The U.S. is making progress in delivering broadband access underserved areas, the report states. The report also says that the number of users of broadband services (speeds exceeding 200 kbps in both directions) soared to 28 million in December 2003 from 9.6 million in 2001."
As people become more accustomed to using computers, they become less patient.
As people become less patient, they become less likely to want to wait for the loading of such bandwidth intensive sites as, oh, say, Slashdot.
As people become less patient, they become more willing to pay for broadband, and be able to browse at speeds that will amaze them.
Also, file sizes have increased, and so gamers are increasing their pipes to compensate. For those of us, myself included, who have not seen the World of Warcraft beta...that's two gigabytes, downloaded over your internet connection.
Finally, I must point out...BitTorrent really became popular in 2003, as is evidenced by WoW using it as a distribution method.
Small wonder, then, that broadband is increasingly becoming a necessity.
It's only an insult if it's not true.
From my POV, it's who offers the best overall deal. I've had broadband in two metropolitan areas (Atlanta and Phoenix) and in both places Cable offered a faster connection (4 MB/s download vs 1.5 MB/s download for DSL) for approximately the same price.
Advantage:cable
Also having cable broadband allows one to completely free themselves of a landlines phone. Get a cell phone with unlimited local calling along with your cable internet and who needs a landline phone?
Scott
©20014 angrykeyboarder & Elmer Fudd. All Wights Wesewved
Hmm my out going is capped at 128k like everyone else on my system..
That is, if i dont use it, once i do, my downstream is pretty much cut off at the knees..
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Actually it didn't change the statistics at all. Since this was an FCC report about US statistics, Canadian ISPs wouldn't be reported. It's just that the reporter is obviously a self centered US citizen, since he uses the generic term "American" to mean ONLY the USA. :)
:)
Course, I usually fall into that category too. When will you darn Canucks learn that you aren't American just because you occupy more of the continent than we do?
- No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades really cramps his style.
You know since you have 1.5 down your less than 15,000ft from the CO, you can call up and get a free upgrade to 384k up. Verizon also now offers 3.0/768k for $40 if you have the Freedom package and $44 if you don't. You have to be 11,000ft max for that though. Make sure to call billing though since only they do the upgrades.
Helps in increasing this. We're sort of a meta-ISP. We do cable modem infrastructure rollouts and provide phone technical support for small MSOs (multiple service providers, i.e. cable companies). Check us out at ibbsonline.com. And, wouldn't you know it, it was founded at the end of 2001.
/.ing.
P.S. I hope our servers can handle a
.... the rate is probably not what they claim, but less than that, especially since I recently saw a story on slashdot saying doubled....
Broadband was/is subsidized by dialup subscribers.
Dialup legal position is one of insuring better competition.... some FCC thing about telephone line equal opportunity..... anti-monopoly.
But cable is not that way legally and can be and is used in a monopolistic manner. If I want a cable modem here there is only no choice but comcast.
I'm sure the report is a marketing effort making things sound better than they are in order to attract the "jump on the (broad) band wagon"... keep up with the jones...
It works against your consumer freedom of choice.