Benchmark 2007: Broadband

During the past four years, the majority of Internet novices have been low-income technology pessimists — Sidelined Citizens. These newcomers are coming to an Internet dominated by broadband, with almost half of North American households using high-speed at home in 2006. With telco and cable operators each holding 33% of the online household market, DSL providers have eliminated cable's early broadband market share lead — except among Early Adopters, who prefer cable Internet service. The mainstream shift to broadband has left AOL in the dust of its cable- and DSL-providing competitors like Comcast and AT&T. To tilt the balance in their favor, ISP marketers should craft channel strategy based on their target customers' preferred media.