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 in a report. It used the criterion of speeds exceeding 200 kbps in at least one…
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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 -- www.fcc.gov/wcb/stats. SBC 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 policy-makers 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.”