US Online Population Continues To Grow
The US online population is still growing according to recent figures from the TR.com Online Census. Figures for Q2 2001 show that US households online now number 70.7 million, a 3% rise on Q1 and a reversal of the decline seen in the period to March 2001.
| Online Growth by Access Technology | ||
| Technology | Customers | Growth in Q2 2001 |
| Paid Dial-Up ISP | 52,186,220 | 5.20% |
| Free ISPs(active subscribers) | 9,100,000 | -11.30% |
| Cable Modems | 4,935,542 | 0.50% |
| Internet TV | 1,223,000 | 1.60% |
| DSL | 3,117,000 | 29.70% |
| Satellite | 114,000 | 52.00% |
| Total | 70,675,764 | 3.20% |
Source: TR.com, Online Census
Paid dial-up services showed a modest 5% growth for the period but this remains the most popular internet access method in the US with more than 52 million subscribers. Satellite access to the net, despite prohibitively high costs, has shown the greatest increase at 52% whilst free ISPs have shown a decline of %11.3%. The key area in this market is dial-up where the implications of AOL’s May rate increase have yet to be seen.
Source: TR.com, Online Census