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More than four in ten U.S. Internet users now have broadband -- doubled in two years

156 million (73%) adults in U.S. are now online; 44% of them have broadband connections

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Sept. 8, 2004 -- The numbers of adults who are online at home, in the office, at school, library or other location continue to grow steadily and at a somewhat more accelerated rate than we have noticed recently. In the past eight months the number of online users has reached 156 million, a seven percent increase. In addition, broadband use continues to grow rapidly -- over four in 10 adults use broadband at home.

In research among 2,003 U.S. adults surveyed by telephone in June and August 2004, Harris Interactive(R) found that 73 percent of adults are now online, up from 69 percent in late 2003, 67 percent in late 2002, 64 percent in 2001 and 63 percent in 2000. When we first began to track Internet use in 1995, only 9 percent of adults reported they were online.

Internet access increases at home and at work

This growth in Internet penetration is a result of increased Internet access at both home and work. The proportion of adults who are now online at home has risen to 65 percent, up from 61 percent in 2003 and 57 percent in 2002. Those online at work have risen modestly to 34 percent from 31 percent in 2003 and 28 percent in 2002.

Broadband access increases sharply

By far the most striking change in this new Harris Interactive research is the big increase in those with broadband connections. Two years ago, only 22 percent of adults online had broadband (including ISDN, cable, ADSL/DSL, T1 and T3 lines) connections. By October/December 2003, this had increased to 37 percent. It is now up to 44 percent, or more than four in ten, of all those online.

The demographic profile of Internet users in the U.S. continues to look like the country as a whole.

As Internet penetration rises, the demographic profile of Internet users continues to look more like that of the nation as a whole. It is still true that more young than older people, and more affluent than low-income people, are online. But seven percent (7%) of those online are now over age 65 (compared to 15% of all adults who are over 65), 39 percent of those online (compared to 47% of all adults) did not go to college and 16 percent have incomes of less than $25,000 (compared to 22% of all adults).


                                   TABLE 1
                              TRENDS 1995 - 2004
                   ONLINE FROM HOME, WORK OR OTHER LOCATION
 "At home, do you personally use a computer to access the Internet/World Wide
                                    Web?"
 "At work, do you personally use a computer to access the Internet/World Wide
                                    Web?"
     "At another location, do you personally use a computer to access the
                          Internet/World Wide Web?"
"Excluding email, how many hours per week, on average, do you typically spend
                     on the Internet or World Wide Web?"

     Base: All Adults

                                              Online adults
                                                                      Average
                                                                      (Mean)
                                                                      Hours
                                                                      Per
                             Total                           Online   Week
                             Adults      Online    Online   at Other  Spent
                             Online     at Home    at Work  Location  Online
                               %            %        %        %
    2004
      June/ August            73           65       34       17       8
    2003
      October/December        69           61       31       16       9
    2002
      November/December       67           57       28       18       7
      February/March          66           55       30       19       8
    2001
      September/October       64           52       28       19       7
      March/April             64           53       27       20       7
    2000
      October/November        63           49       29       17       7
      April/May               57           45       24       15       7
    1999
      December                56           46      N/A      N/A       7
    1998
      January/February        35           22       22      N/A     N/A
    1997
      May/June                30           16       18      N/A     N/A
    1996
      June/September          19           16       16      N/A     N/A
    1995
      September/November       9          N/A      N/A      N/A     N/A

    NOTE: N/A means, "not asked"


                                   TABLE 2
                    PC AND INTERNET USE:  TRENDS 1995-2004
    "Do you personally use a computer at home, work or another location?"
 "At home, do you personally use a computer to access the Internet/World Wide
                                    Web?"
 "At work, do you personally use a computer to access the Internet/World Wide
                                    Web?"
     "At another location, do you personally use a computer to access the
                          Internet/World Wide Web?"

     Base: All Adults
                                                                  Percent of
                                   Proportion of all adults        Computer
                                   (from work, home, school or       Users
                                   other location)              Who Are Online

                                Use PC            Are Online
                                   %                   %               %
    2004
      June/ August                78                  73              93
    2003
      October/December            75                  69              92
    2002
      November/December           74                  67              92
      February/March              74                  66              90
    2001
      September/October           73                  64              88
      March/April                 72                  64              89
    2000
      October/November            74                  63              85
      April/May                   69                  57              83
    1999
      December                    69                  56              81
      June/July                   65                  48              74
      January/February            63                  41              65
    1998
      January/February            63                  35              56
    1997
      May/June                    61                  30              49
    1996
      June/September              54                  19              35
    1995
      September/November         50*                   9              18

     NOTES:
     1. All samples of 2,000 or more adults, conducted by telephone.
     2. "Use Internet" includes all adults who use Internet from home, office,
        school, library or other location.

     * Estimated from other sources.


                                   TABLE 3
                         PROFILE OF ONLINE POPULATION
                              (June-August 2004)
 "At home, do you personally use a computer to Access the Internet/World Wide
                                    Web?"
 "At work, do you personally use a computer to access the Internet/World Wide
                                    Web?"
     "At another location, do you personally use a computer to access the
                          Internet/World Wide Web?"

     Base: All adults

                                Total U.S.
                                  Adult             Total U.S.     Percentage
                                 Online               Adult           Point
                               Population           Population     Difference
                                   %                   %               %
    AGE
      18 - 29                     26                  21             +5
      30 - 39                     23                  19             +4
      40 - 49                     22                  20             +2
      50 - 64                     20                  21             -1
      65 +                         7                  15             -8
    SEX
      Men                         49                  48             +1
      Women                       51                  52             -1
    RACE/ETHNICITY
      White                       75                  74             +1
      Black                       10                  11             -1
      Hispanic                    12                  11             +1
    EDUCATION
      High school or less         39                  47             -8
      Some college                30                  27             +3
      College graduate
      (or postgraduate)           30                  24             +6
    HOUSEHOLD INCOME
    Less than $25,000             16                  22             -6
    $25,000 to less than $50,000  21                  22             -1
    $50,000 and over              48                  39             +9



                                   TABLE 4
           ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF ADULTS WHO ARE ONLINE (IN MILLIONS)
 "At home, do you personally use a computer to Access the Internet/World Wide
                                    Web?"
 "At work, do you personally use a computer to access the Internet/World Wide
                                    Web?"
     "At another location, do you personally use a computer to access the
                          Internet/World Wide Web?"


     Base: All Adults
                                                    In Millions
    2004
          June/August                                    156*
    2003
          October/December                               146
    2002
          November/December                              140
          February/March                                 137
    2001
          September/October                              127
          March/April                                    126
    2000
          October/November                               121
          April/May                                      114
    1999
          December                                       113
    1998
          January/February                                70
    1997
          May/June                                        59
    1996
          June/September                                  33
    1995
          September/November                             17.5

     * Based on July 2004 U.S. Census projections (214,000,000 total adults
       aged 18 or over)



                                   TABLE 5
                         TYPE OF INTERNET CONNECTION
"What type of Internet connection do you have for your home computer or other
                              primary computer?"

     Base: Adults online

                             February/    November/    October/      June/
                               March       December     December     August
                                2002         2002         2003         2004
                                 %            %            %            %
    14.4k modem                  1            2            2            1
    28.8k modem                  4            5            4            4
    33.6k modem                  2            2            2            2
    56k modem                   39           29           20           23
    ISDN line                    1            1            1            1
    Cable modem                 13           14           21           22
    ADSL/DSL                     7           11           14           19
    T1 or T3 line                1            1            2            2
    Other                        4            6            6            4
    Not sure                    27           27           25           21
    Decline to answer            1            2            2            1
    TOTAL BROADBAND*            22%          27%          37%          44%

     *Includes ISDN, cable, ADSL/DSL, T1 or T3 lines.

Methodology

This Harris Poll is based on 2,003 interviews with adults (aged18+) conducted by telephone within the United States during June and August 2004. Figures for age, sex, race, education, number of adults and number of voice/telephone lines in the household were weighted where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population.

In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (non-response), question wording and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

    ____________________________________________
    June 2004: J21491
    August 2004: J21930

About Harris Interactive(R)

Harris Interactive (http://www.harrisinteractive.com) is a worldwide market research and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market research. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, Harris Interactive combines proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in predictive, custom and strategic research. The Company conducts international research from its U.S. offices and through wholly owned subsidiaries-London-based HI Europe (http://www.hieurope.com), Paris-based Novatris and Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan-as well as through the Harris Interactive Global Network of independent market- and opinion-research firms. EOE M/F/D/V

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future online surveys, visit http://www.harrispollonline.com.

The Harris Poll(R) #63 Internet Use, September 8, 2004

David Krane is Senior Vice President of Harris Interactive Public Policy Research and editor of The Harris Poll

SOURCE Harris Interactive

Web Site: http://www.harrisinteractive.com

http://www.harrispollonline.com



Nancy Wong
Harris Interactive
585-214-7316

Kelly Gullo
Harris Interactive
585-214-7172

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