While cable operators are working diligently on ramping up broadband speeds with wideband channel bonding, consumer research by Leichtman Research Group (LRG) found that 70 percent of the nation’s high-speed Internet subscribers are very satisfied with their current Internet service at home.
On the other hand, 45 percent of dial-up/narrowband subscribers are very satisfied with their Internet service.
“While the base of high-speed Internet subscribers in the U.S. has rapidly increased over the past few years, broadband subscribers typically remain very satisfied with their service and are not interested in paying for even faster Internet access,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for LRG. “Although the pace of annual net broadband additions is beginning to wane, LRG forecasts the total number of broadband subscribers will still increase by 33.5 million over the next five years.”
LRG’s research also found that:
- 72 percent of cable broadband subscribers, and 62 percent of telco broadband subscribers, rate the quality of the speed of their Internet connection as 8 to 10 on a 10-point scale.
- 24 percent of broadband subscribers are very interested in receiving faster Internet access at home than they currently receive.
- 11 percent of broadband subscribers would very likely pay an additional $10 per month to double their Internet speed.
These findings were based on a telephone survey of 1,601 households from throughout the United States and are part of a new LRG study, “Broadband Access & Service in the Home 2008.” This is LRG’s sixth-annual study of this topic.
At the time of the survey, 57 percent of U.S. households subscribed to a broadband service, compared with 20 percent four years earlier. Broadband now represents more than three-quarters of all online at home – compared with less than one-third in 2004. Overall, 6 percent of all Internet subscribers said that broadband is not available in their area.
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