The number of high-speed connections in the U.S. increased from 37.9 million to 42.9 million in the first half of 2005, according to the latest report from the Federal Communications Commission.
The FCC biannual report (pdf) covers data as of June 30, 2005.
The rate of adoption of high-speed lines in the first half of 2005 was slower than the rate in the first half of 2004. The increase was 13 percent during the first half of 2005, compared to a 17 percent increase, from 32.5 million to 37.9 million lines, during the second half of 2004. For the full 12-month period ending June 30, 2005, high-speed lines increased by 32 percent, or 10.4 million lines.
Of the 42.9 million total high-speed lines reported as of June 30, 2005, 38.5 million served primarily residential end users. Cable modem service represented 61 percent of these lines, while 37.2 percent were ADSL connections, 0.4 percent were SDSL or traditional wireline connections, 0.2 percent were fiber connections to the end user premises, and 1.1 percent used other types of technology, including satellite, terrestrial fixed or mobile wireless (both licensed and unlicensed spectrum), and electric power line.
As a nationwide average, the FCC estimated that high-speed DSL connections were available to 76 percent of the households to whom ILECs could provide local telephone service as of June 30, 2005, and that high-speed cable modem service was available to 91 percent of the households passed by cable service.
While most service providers consider 1.5 Mbps to be the minimum transmission rate to qualify as a high-speed data service, the FCC is obligated to include a connection exceeding 200 kbps in at least one direction. The FCC also defines connections that deliver services at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in both directions as advanced service lines. Statistics for advanced services lines are also included in the report.