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 September 1, 2002, and includes data as of June 30, 2002. Qualifying providers file such data twice a year under the Commission’s local competition and broadband data gathering program (FCC Form 477).
The FCC adopted the local competition and broadband data gathering program 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 FCC uses data from this effort for evaluating the deployment of advanced telecommunications capability.
For reporting purposes, high-speed lines are defined at those that provide services at speeds exceeding 200 kilobits per second (kbps) in at least one direction, while advanced services lines are those that provide services at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in both directions.
Summary Statistics
· High-speed lines connecting homes and businesses to the Internet increased by 27% during the first half of 2002, from 12.8 million to 16.2 million lines, compared to a 33% increase, from 9.6 million to 12.8 million lines, during the second half of 2001.
· Of the 16.2 million high-speed lines in service at the end of June 2002, 14.0 million served residential and small business subscribers, a 27% increase from the 11.0 million residential and small business high-speed lines reported six months earlier.
· Of those 16.2 million high-speed lines, 10.4 million provided advanced services, i.e., services at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in both directions. Advanced services lines increased 41%, from 7.4 million to 10.4 million lines, during the first half of 2002. About 8.7 million of the 10.4 million advanced services lines served residential and small business subscribers.
· At the end of June 2002, the presence of high-speed service subscribers was reported in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and in 84% of the nation’s zip codes, compared to 79% six months earlier.
· High-speed asymmetric DSL (ADSL) lines in service increased by 29% during the first half of 2002, from 3.9 million to 5.1 million lines, compared to a 47% increase, from nearly 2.7 million to 3.9 million lines, during the preceding six months.
· High-speed service over coaxial cable systems (cable modem service) increased by 30% during the first six months of 2002, from 7.1 million to 9.2 million lines. By comparison, cable modem service increased by 36%, from nearly 5.2 million to 7.1 million lines, during the second half of 2001.
· High-speed service subscribers were reported present in 99% of the most densely populated decile of zip codes at the end of June 2002, compared to 98% a year earlier, and in 50% of the least densely populated decile, compared to 37% a year earlier.
· For zip codes ranked by median household income, high-speed subscribers were reported present in 98% of the top one-tenth of zip codes and in 69% of the bottom one-tenth of zip codes at the end of June 2002. The comparable figures a year earlier were 96% and 59%.
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.
Contact:
Mike Balmoris
(202) 418-0253
mbalmori@fcc.gov
Wireline Competition Bureau contact: I
ndustry Analysis and Technology Division
(202) 418-0940
TTY (202) 418-0484.
