Nielsen//NetRatings, the global standard for Internet audience
measurement and analysis, has reported that 49.5 million, or 38 percent of all home Internet users now
connect to the Internet via broadband, the highest number to date. Broadband users grew 27 percent,
adding more than 10 million to their ranks, during the six month period from May 2003 through November
2003. During the same six month period narrowband usage has remained flat at 69.6 million.
“The number of Americans connecting to the Internet via broadband is growing at an impressive rate.”
said Marc Ryan, director of analysis, Nielsen//NetRatings. “The increase in broadband connections
indicates users are seeking ways to improve their Internet experience. Moving to a high speed connection
opens the door to a number of new content possibilities, driving further evolution of the Internet and
facilitating bandwidth-intensive applications like digital music downloading.”
The increased number of broadband connections is spurring the use of rich media, including on-demand
video and flash based content, in the realm of advertising. For the month of November 2003, 17 percent
of all online advertising impressions were rich media ads, jumping 10 percentage points from November
2002. Non-rich media ads decreased 10 percentage points from a 93 percent share in November 2002 to
83 percent in November 2003.

“Broadband enables both content providers and online advertisers to create more rich media based
content,” continued Ryan. “This rich media based content leverages the power of television as a medium
and brings it to the Internet offering Internet users a ‘best of both worlds’ experience.”

Marc Ryan will be speaking at Digital Hollywood at CES on Saturday, January 10, 2003 in Las Vegas,
Nev. He will be part of the session entitled “Branded Media Marketing and Broadband Advertising -Merging Commerce and Content.”
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