Internet audience measurement service Nielsen//NetRatings reported that broadband usage outpaced narrowband usage for the first time in January.
According to the report, broadband surfers logged 1.19 billion hours, or 51 percent of the 2.3 billion hours spent online during January. Last year broadband users spent 727 million hours online in the same month, for 38 percent of the total. Total time spent online by broadband surfers increased by 64 percent over last year to 1.19 billion hours, while time using narrowband decreased three percent from 1.18 billion to 1.14 billion.
The unique audience accessing the Internet via high-speed connections also continues to rise. Almost 21.9 million surfers at-home accessed the Internet via broadband connection in January, an increase of 67 percent, representing 21 percent of the total online population at-home. The at-work broadband population jumped 42 percent to 25.5 million office workers, compared to 18 million the year prior, reaching 63 percent of the Internet office population.
