Study: Broadband growth will continue

More than 21 million customers worldwide will use a high-speed Internet connection by the end of the year and nearly 84 million will do so by 2005, according to a new study by market research firm Cahners In-Stat Group. By the end of the year, about 11 percent of U.S. households will subscribe to a broadband service, the survey shows.

Cahners estimates that worldwide broadband revenue will grow to more than $37 billion in 2005, from $5.8 billion in 2000. By 2002, total U.S. high-speed Net users will rise to more than 19 million from 6.8 million in 2000. Cable modems are expected to continue to be the preferred method of broadband access in North America over DSL (digital subscriber line), Cahners said. But DSL will dominate outside the United States by year-end 2002.