US Broadband's Two-Pronged Growth Strategy

While broadband definitively dominates today's home access market — three-quarters of US online adults have high-speed Internet access at home — two types of online consumers exist. For broadband consumers, the Internet plays an integral role in their daily lives — 94% go online every day. Providers are responding accordingly, with more bandwidth and symmetry to accommodate online video, communications, telework, and other emerging Web-based activities. But the remaining 24% of online consumers who don't have broadband in their homes simply aren't as plugged in to — or reliant on — the Web. These broadband have-nots continue to see price as the biggest obstacle to their own home broadband adoption. Consumer broadband product strategists at telcos and cablecos need a two-pronged strategy to keep seasoned high-speed consumers paying — and to win those who are new to broadband.