Federal Communications Commission Releases Data On High-Speed Services For Internet Access

Washington, D.C. – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today released summary statistics of its latest data on the deployment of high-speed connections to the Internet in the United States. The information being released today was filed by qualifying service providers on March 1, 2002, and includes data as of December 31, 2001. Qualifying providers file such data twice a year under the Commission’s local competition and broadband data gathering program (FCC Form 477).

The local competition and broadband data gathering program was adopted by the Commission in March 2000 to assist the Commission in its efforts to monitor and further implement the pro-competitive, deregulatory provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Specifically, the data from this effort are used by the Commission for its evaluation of the deployment of advanced telecommunications capability.

Summary Statistics

• High-speed lines connecting homes and businesses to the Internet increased by 33% during the second half of 2001, from 9.6 million to 12.8 million lines, compared to a 36% increase, from nearly 7.1 million to 9.6 million lines, during the first half of 2001.

• Of the 12.8 million high-speed lines in service at the end of 2001, 11 million served residential and small business subscribers, a 41% increase from the 7.8 million residential and small business high-speed lines reported six months earlier.

• About 7.4 million of the 12.8 million high-speed lines were advanced services lines that provide services at speeds exceeding 200 kilobits per second (kbps) in both directions, an increase of 25% during the second half of 2001. About 5.8 million of the 7.4 million advanced services lines served residential and small business subscribers.

• At the end of 2001, the presence of high-speed service subscribers was reported in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and in 79% of the nation’s zip codes, compared to 78% six months earlier and 73% at the end of 2000.

• High-speed asymmetric DSL (ADSL) lines in service increased by 47% during the second half of 2001, from nearly 2.7 million to over 3.9 million lines, compared to a 36% increase, from nearly 2 million to 2.7 million lines, during the preceding six months.

• High-speed Internet connections over coaxial cable systems (cable modem service) increased by 36% during the final six months of 2001, from 5.2 million to 7.1 million lines. By comparison, cable modem service increased by 45%, from nearly 3.6 million to 5.2 million lines, during the first half of 2001.

• High-speed service subscribers were reported present in 98% of the most densely populated decile of zip codes at the end of 2001, the same percentage as a year earlier, and in 43% of the least densely populated decile, compared to 28% a year earlier.

• For zip codes ranked by median family income, high-speed subscribers were reported present in 97% of the top one-tenth of zip codes and in 63% of the bottom one-tenth of zip codes at the end of 2001. The comparable figures a year earlier were 96% and 55%.

As additional information becomes available, it will be routinely posted on the Commission’s Internet site.

The statistical summary is available in the FCC’s Reference Information Center, Courtyard Level, 445 12th Street, S.W. Copies may be purchased from the Commission’s duplicating contractor, Qualex International, Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-B402, Washington, D.C., telephone (202) 863-2893, facsimile (202) 863-2898, or via e-mail qualexint@aol.com. The statistical summary can also be downloaded from the FCC-State Link Internet site at www.fcc.gov/wcb/stats.

– FCC –

Wireline Competition Bureau contacts: Industry Analysis and Technology Division at (202) 418-0940, TTY (202) 418-0484.

CONTACT:

Mike Balmoris

(202) 418-0253