Massachusetts Ranks 1st in Broadband Subscribers

WOBURN, Mass., May 22 -- Massachusetts ranked first in the nation in per-household broadband subscribers, and ranked sixth overall, with 584,000 subscribers in June 2002, according to a study is based on Federal Communications Commission (FCC) data.

"Broadband in the States 2003," published by the American Electronics Association (AeA), found that the number of broadband subscribers in Massachusetts jumped from 506,000 in December 2001 to 584,000 in June 2002, a 15 percent increase. Broadband is defined as a connection to the home or business that is faster than 200 kb/s in at least one direction.

Broadband subscribers in Massachusetts increased by 77,800 between December 2001 and June 2002, the AeA reported. The dominant technology for receiving broadband services in Massachusetts was cable, with 391,400 subscribers in June 2002, and DSL accounted for 147,100 broadband subscribers.

"Massachusetts is the national leader in broadband subscribers," said Anne Doherty Johnson, AeA New England's executive director. "We have the highest concentration of broadband subscribers in the country. The tech industry in Massachusetts is poised to taken advantage of the technological innovations provided by high-speed Internet access."

California leads the nation in broadband subscriptions, totaling 2.6 million in June 2002, but on a per-household basis, it ranks third. New York ranks second nationwide, with 1.5 million subscribers. Nationally, broadband subscribers totaled 16.2 million in June 2002, compared to 12.8 million in December 2001. This 27 percent increase was the slowest since the FCC started collecting statistics in 1999, the AeA said.

For more information, visit: www.aeanet.org