DSL high-speed connections to homes and businesses slightly outpaced cable broadband connections over the 12-month period ending June 30, according to the latest data released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Growth in both high-speed Internet options, however, cooled during the first half of this year.
High-speed connections in service over asymmetric digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies increased by 19 percent from 6.5 million to 7.7 million lines from January to June, compared to a 27 percent increase during the preceding six months. For the full 12-month period ending June 30, high-speed DSL increased by 50 percent.
Coaxial cable connections (cable modem service) increased by 20 percent during the first six months of 2003, from 11.4 million to 13.7 million lines, compared to a 24 percent increase during the second half of 2002. For the full 12-month period, high-speed cable modem connections increased by 49 percent.
Overall, broadband connections to homes and businesses increased by 18 percent to 23.5 million lines from January to June. For the 12-month period ending June 30, high-speed lines installed in homes and businesses increased by 45 percent.
Of the 23.5 million high-speed lines now in service, 20.6 million served residential and small business subscribers, a 19 percent increase from the 17.4 million residential and small business high-speed lines reported six months earlier.
The FCC defines high-speed lines as those exceeding 200 kilobits per second (kbps) in at least one direction. Of the 23.5 million high-speed lines, 16.3 million provided advanced services, which the FCC defines as speeds exceeding 200 kbps in both directions.
Advanced services lines increased 32 percent during the first half of this year, from 12.4 million to 16.3 million lines. For the full 12-month period ending June 30, advanced services lines of all technology types increased by 56 percent.
California leads the nation in high-speed connections with 3.4 million, followed by New York (1.9 million), Florida (1.65 million), Texas (1.61 million each) and New Jersey (967,840).
Wyoming has the fewest broadband connections with 17,507, followed by South Dakota (22,016), North Dakota (25,474) and Montana (28,023).
Facilities-based service providers file data with the FCC on the amount of high-speed connections in service twice a year pursuant to the FCC’s local competition and broadband data gathering program.
