he mousetrap is set. According to new research by the Leichtman Research Group (leichtmanresearch.com), almost 70 per cent of US households have an online connection and 60 per cent of those homes connect via broadband. The first quarter of 2006 saw an addition of three million cable as well as DSL subscribers. In a revelation that is welcome news for broadband service providers, 40 per cent of current dial-up subscribers said they were interested in getting a broadband connection. Among the higher income households, cable remains the most common source for residential broadband. Thirty-seven per cent of all households with annual incomes of more than $75,000 subscribe to cable broadband, while 27 per cent subscribe to DSL. According to the study, the mean annual household income of cable-broadband subscribers is 12 per cent higher than their DSL counterparts. The mean income of broadband subscribers is 35 per cent greater than dial-up subscribers.

Analysts expect 105 million residential subscribers in the US by the end of 2010. Over 80 per cent of these subscribers are projected to be broadband subscribers. Nielsen/NetRatings had reported in June that nearly three-quarters of active web users in the US connected at home via broadband in May which represented a growth of 15 per cent over a year ago, when just 57 per cent of active web users relied on broadband connections at home. The study also reported that broadband users are more likely to make better use of internet functionalities and newer technologies, such as RSS feeds and blogging. ... more