Broadband at home passes 60% usage mark among active web users

61% of active U.S. Internet users accessed the web via broadband connections from home in August, up from 51.4% a year ago, Nielsen/NetRatings reports. Nielsen defines an active user as anyone who accessed the Internet during the study month.

Broadband usage is an important indicator of online retail spending because broadband users shop online more than dial-up users.

The number of Internet users who accessed the Internet via broadband from home in August was 86.1 million, up 34% from 64.1 million a year ago, while the number of Internet users who accessed the Internet from home via narrowband declined 10%, to 54.3 million from 60.6 million, Nielsen said.

Among all U.S. consumers, 42%, or 120.8 million, had broadband Internet access at home in August, up from 36%, or 103.8 million in January, Nielsen said.

"Although broadband penetration among Internet users has long been on the rise, it was always amid speculation that the high cost of broadband would limit its widespread adoption," said Charles Buchwalter, vice president of client analytics, Nielsen/NetRatings. "However, over the last year, carriers have responded to the growing demand for lower cost broadband, and all indications are that this trend will continue."