WASHINGTON — High-speed Internet access connecting U.S. homes and businesses increased 23 percent during the second half of 2002, according to government figures released Tuesday (June 10).
The Federal Communications Commission said there were 19.9 million high-speed lines as of the end of 2002. The rate of growth in the second half of last year slowed from the 27-percent growth rate recorded in the first half of 2002. Still, the agency said annual growth in U.S. high-speed lines totaled 55 percent compared to the previous year.
Residential and small business customers accounted for 17.4 million of the total number of high-speed lines. That represented a 55 percent increase over 2001.
ADSL technology grew the fastest during the second half of 2002, providing high-speed services to 6.5 million subscribers, a 27 percent increase. Cable modem subscriptions grew at a 24-percent clip during the same period. The FCC said 11.4 million homes use cable modems.
About 13 million high-speed lines provided what the agency defines as "advanced services," or services at speeds exceeding 200 Kbps in both directions.
The Internet access report is available at the FCC's Web site.
