Faster Connections Drive Broadband Users To Surf More.

Nielsen//NetRatings revealed that surfing habits of home Internet users change dramatically after upgrading to high-speed Internet access. Across the board, narrowband surfers increased their Web usage when they upgraded to broadband.
Page views skyrocketed 130 percent as surfers viewed 5.5 billion pages in July 2001, after they switched from narrowband to broadband (see Table 1 , CLICK above on ‘More Images’). The number of pages accessed per person jumped 55 percent, while the numbers of sessions increased 25 percent to nearly 28 in July 2001, as compared to 22 in January. New broadband users spent 23 percent more time surfing the Web to more than 15 hours after they made the change.

“As early Internet adopters upgrade to broadband, the faster connections are changing their online habits,” said T.S. Kelly, director and principal analyst, NetRatings. “Faster speeds improve the overall online experience, encouraging broadband surfers to explore more sites and spend more time online. All this added activity benefits advertisers, eCommerce sites and content players.”

“New broadband subscribers are looking to take advantage of their newfound speed, creating a large opportunity for companies to target and engage an attractive segment of the online community,” he added.

Broadband Records Triple-Digit Growth

The number of new broadband users soared 121 percent among home users in July 2001 as compared to the same period last year (see Table 2, CLICK above on ‘More Images’). Nearly 18 million surfers accessed the Internet via a high-speed connection, achieving triple-digit growth during the first half of 2001. Surfers using a 56Kbps modem still outnumber broadband surfers, however, growth for 56Kbps modems has declined significantly over time.

“The number of broadband users, nearly 18 million people, is at its highest point ever,” said Kelly. “Streaming media is a major driver behind broadband adoption. The movie-on-demand offering, Moviefly, by the major movie studios is an excellent example of the next generation of technology-enabled entertainment.”