Broadband is here to stay

Broadband Internet access is spreading and changing how consumers behave, says a new report from Forrester Research.

Retailers who are optimizing their web sites for dial-up connections better re-think their approach. The latest research from Forrester Research Inc. reports that nearly 20% of American homes—not just Internet homes, but all homes—have broadband Internet access. That translates into 30% of all Internet homes. Not only is the number by itself significant, but how broadband consumers use the Internet is significantly different from dial-up users. For instance, broadband users are online 50% longer each week than dial-up users and spend 29% more money. Two other interesting tidbits: They’re almost twice as likely to research products online and they’re 50% more likely to purchase prescription drugs online. Here’s what Forrester has to say about broadband: