High-speed lines connecting homes and businesses to the Internet ...
High-speed lines connecting homes and businesses to the Internet rose 15% during the first half of 2004 to 32.5 million, the FCC said Wed. in a report. It used the criterion of speeds exceeding 200 kbps in at least…
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one direction. That compares to a 20% increase to 28.2 million lines the 2nd half of 2003, it said. The 12 months ended June 30, high-speed lines rose 38%. The report said that of the 32.5 million high-speed lines in service, 30.1 million served residential and small business subscribers -- a 16% increase from the 26 million lines 6 months earlier. For the full year, high-speed lines for residential and small business subscribers rose 46%. The report said high-speed connections in service over asymmetric DSL technologies increased 20% the first half of 2004 to 11.4 million lines, compared to a 24% increase to 9.5 million lines the preceding 6 months. For the full year, it said, high-speed ADSL rose 49%. The report said high-speed coaxial cable connections rose 13% the first 6 months of 2004 to 18.6 million lines, compared to a 20% increase the 2nd half of 2003 to 16.4 million lines. For the full year, it said high-speed cable modem connections rose 36%. The report said the remaining 2.5 million high-speed connections used satellite, wireless, wireline other than ADSL and fiber high- speed connections. The FCC said of the 32.5 million high- speed lines, 23.5 million provided advanced services, delivered at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in both directions. It said advanced services lines increased 15% the first half of 2004 to 23.5 million lines. The 12 months ended June 30, advanced services lines rose 44%, it said. The report said about 21.2 million advanced services lines served residential and small business subscribers. Among advanced services lines, it said, ADSL lines rose 24% and cable modem service 15% the first 6 months of 2004. In the 12-months ended June 30, ADSL advanced services lines rose 49% and cable modem 47%, the report said. SBC said the report demonstrated that “competition is thriving, and it’s bringing the usual benefits of more choices and competitive prices for both phone service and broadband services.” But, it said, while DSL growth has been “impressive, it lags behind cable broadband service, partly because a myriad of government-mandated requirements apply to DSL service, not cable broadband service, including open access obligations, funding of the universal service program and a matrix of accounting and separate affiliate rules. We are hopeful that policymakers and Congress will take the thumb off the broadband marketplace scale next year so that consumers can receive the benefits of a truly competitive marketplace.” -- www.fcc.gov/wcb/stats.