Broadband web access grows 58% in last year

Broadband use at home is growing fast with 58% more home surfers accessing the Internet through cable modem, DSL, ISDN or LAN in April than a year ago, according to new research from Nielsen/NetRatings. 65% of the top metropolitan areas with an existing broadband network saw growth of at least 48% year over year in their respective markets.

New York lead the way with a 71% year over year increase to nearly 2.8 million at-home high speed Internet users, followed by Los Angeles, with a higher rate of growth at 88% over last year based on a smaller population of high-speed users estimated at 1.8 million. Washington, DC, saw an even higher rate of increase, with broadband home users increasing 153% to 532,000 year over year.

Prices for broadband access will continue to remain a barrier to even wider use of broadband as the online population continues to rise, says T.S. Kelly, director and principal analyst at NetRatings. “Internet service providers would be wise to balance value, service, content and broadband development to encourage narrowband surfers to make the transition,” Kelly says.