Broadband Set To Enter The Mainstream, Says eMarketer
The popularity of broadband is based on the fact that subscribers tend to be wealthy, web savvy consumers who use the internet on a regular basis. However as high-speed access increasingly becomes the norm, there is uncertainty as to how the demographic will evolve.
According to analysis by eMarketer, there were approximately 17 million broadband households in the US at the end of 2002. This is predicted to increase to over 30 million by 2004 but whereas the first wave of residential broadband users were predominantly affluent, well-educated white males, the study says there is no guarantee that the second wave will be similar in composition.
Research has shown that exisiting broadband users spend more time on the net, visit more sites and view more pages than their narrowband contemporaries (see US Web Users Move Into The Fast Lane). This automatically makes them appealing to internet marketers, retailers and publishers. However, it is to be assumed that these companies will closely monitor their audience in years to come in order to spot changes in online behaviour.
