Asian Countries Lead Household Broadband Penetration

BOSTON: The U.S. ranks 20th in global broadband household penetration, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics, while five of the top ten markets for broadband were Asian countries.

Sixty percent of U.S. households accessed the Internet last year via broadband, compared to 95 percent of South Korean households, putting it in the top spot. Singapore follows at number two with 88 percent, then the Netherlands and Denmark at 85 percent and 82 percent, respectively. Both Taiwan and Hong Kong had broadband penetration at 81 percent. Israel, Switzerland, Canada and Norway round out the top ten.

In its report, Global Broadband Forecast: 1H 2009, the firm predicts that the subscriber base in the Asia-Pacific region will grow on average by a further 15 percent a year between 2009 and 2013. However, for the U.S., Strategy Analytics estimates a fall to 23rd place worldwide.