Seventy-two percent of U.S. adults have access to a broadband connection and more than half of American households now subscribe to broadband, according to new research released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®). 57.8 million U.S. households subscribe to broadband at home, an increase of 21 percent in the last 12 months.

“With 20 percent of non-broadband subscribers expecting to adopt this service in the next two years, future growth looks strong,” said CEA President and CEO, Gary Shapiro. “Yet, competition among broadband service providers must stay robust for this expected growth to prevail. Consumers must have access to media-rich entertainment content they can use anytime, anywhere at a reasonable price.”

For online households, it is clear that broadband is the primary connection. 75 percent of households with Internet access subscribe to broadband. For these households, 65 percent decided to upgrade for a faster Internet connection. For non-subscribers, 15 percent say price is the number one reason they don't have broadband in the home. With more facilities-based competition, price will surely go down and provide incentives for providers to upgrade their service offering.

“Most importantly,” Shapiro continued, “increased broadband access brings with it the hope of widely disseminating knowledge and improving healthcare and distance learning services. Broadband access spurs innovation and technology for all Americans.”

While much of the broadband debate has focused on broadband in the home, this is only part of the broadband story. Many Americans are also accessing broadband connections in numerous places outside the home. Today, adults without broadband in their home access the Internet from work, public libraries, and schools as well as even through portable devices like wireless phones. These results highlight how broadband Internet connections outside of the primary residence have become an ever important component of broadband access.