WebProNews

High-speed Internet connections increased by 34 percent in 2004, and about 38 million lines are in service.

Americans feel the need for Internet speed. 2004 began with 28.2 million lines of high-speed access in service for residential and business customers. That figure increased to 32.5 million by the middle of the year, then rose another 17 percent by the end of 2004.

Cable has led the way, with 21.4 million lines in service in 2004. That was followed by ADSL services and 13.8 million lines.

In the FCC report, 95 percent of zip codes in the US had at least one high-speed service provider. Their analysis says 99 percent of the US population lives in the covered zip codes.

For users, it means that high-speed access of some form should be available to them wherever they may live or work. The FCC lists unduplicated high-speed service providers by state, and its new report shows Iowa with the greatest number of those with 61. Delaware had the fewest with 7.

Population density and household income showed a relationship to the presence of high-speed providers. Higher figures in either area had a corresponding number of providers available as well.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.