December 2005 Bandwidth Report With Internet Broadband Statistics by Web Site Optimization

AT&T and BellSouth are lobbying Congress to create a two-tier Internet where their own services would be transmitted faster than their competitors. The battle is largely over video transmission, which requires prioritized delivery for the larger bundles of bits needed for smooth display. Google, Yahoo, and others major sites are fighting the legislation that Congress is considering. In other broadband news some hotels are blocking VoIP, 1 in 10 Xmas cards are sent over the Internet, and broadband penetration in the US rose to 64.89% in November 2005.* (For the full “December 2005 Bandwidth Report” visit Web Site Optimization

Some Broadband Hotels Blocking VoIP

Broadband-enabled hotels will more than triple by 2009, found In-Stat in an October 2005 report. A previous In-Stat survey found that 64% of all guests have used broadband, while business travelers used hotel broadband service on average nearly 80% of the nights they spent in hotels. Nearly 50% of users were either extremely or very satisfied with the service, while 47% were somewhat satisfied. It appears that the early days of guest-room broadband snafus are behind us. All is not well in high-speed hotel land, however. On a trip to London in August, Jeff Pulver was blocked from making an Internet phone call from the broadband connection in his hotel room.

"For £14 ($A32), I could have watched pay per view. Instead I was watching Law and Order," said Pulver. - "Broadband Battles," The Age Dec. 16, 2005

Despite these speed bumps, there appear to be opportunities for continued broadband growth in hotel chains. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said they would use broadband more in the future, citing the wider availability of broadband. Every hotel chain from Motel 6 to Fairmont Resorts is exploring making broadband available for all guests, regardless of their budget. Perhaps we'll hear a new tag line like, "We'll leave the broadband on for you." (For the full “December 2005 Bandwidth Report” visit Web Site Optimization

Home Connectivity in the US

US broadband penetration grew to 64.89% in November. Narrowband users (56Kbps or less) now comprise 35.11% of active Internet users, down 1.13 percentage points from 36.24% in October 2005 (see Figure 1).

Broadband Growth Trends in the US

In November 2005, broadband penetration in US homes rose 1.13 percentage points to 64.89%, up from 63.76% in October. This increase of 1.13 points is below the average increase in broadband of 1.2 points per month over the last seven months. At the current growth rate of over 1.1 percentage points per month, broadband penetration among active Internet users US homes should break 70% by early March of 2006 (see Figure 2).

Work Connectivity

Most workers in the US enjoy high-speed connections to the Internet. Most use a high-speed line such as a T1 connection, and share bandwidth between computers connected to an Ethernet network. The speed of each connection decreases as more employees hook up to the LAN. As of November of 2005, of those connected to the Internet, 87.35% of US users at work enjoy a high-speed connection, up 0.94 percentage points from the 86.41% share in October. At work, 12.65% connect at 56Kbps or less (see Figure 3).

About The Bandwidth Report

The Bandwidth Report is a monthly roundup of connectivity trends in the US and elsewhere. Each month's bandwidth report offers the latest statistics in Internet connectivity and broadband trends, including:

* Home Connectivity in the US
* Broadband Growth in the US
* Work Connectivity
* Broadband Trends in the US, Canada, and other countries

The December 2005 Bandwidth Report is available at:
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/0512/

About Web Site Optimization

Don't Make Me Wait! The new book titled "Speed Up Your Site – Web Site Optimization" by Andy King, and the companion web site are about designing "speedy" web sites with techniques that…

* Cut file size and download times in half
* Speed up site load time to satisfy customers
* Engage users with fast response times and flow stimulus
* Increase usability, boost profits, and slash bandwidth costs
* Improve search engine rankings and web page conversions

Andy King is also the founder of WebReference.com and JavaScript.com, both award-winning developer sites from internet.com. Created in 1995 and subsequently acquired by Mecklermedia (now Jupitermedia) in 1997, WebReference has grown into one of the most popular developer sites on the Internet. While he was Managing Editor of WebReference.com and JavaScript.com, Andy became the "Usability Czar" at internet.com, where he optimized the speed and usability of their sites. In addition to his consulting work, he continues to
write the monthly Bandwidth Report and the “Speed Tweak of the Week” for www.websiteoptimization.com.

Contact Matt Hockin at 503.246.1375 for an interview with the author or a review copy of Speed Up Your Site - Web Site Optimization http://www.interactivemarketinginc.com matt(at)interactivemarketinginc.com