Demand for broadband remains sluggish in the US
An AP story in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) states that a new Commerce Department study, compiled from various analyst surveys, cites a need for new applications and services before broadband will become more popular.
Only 10% of U.S. households subscribe to high-speed access, lower than the rate in Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong or Canada. About half of American families have some type of Internet access at home.
...The report cites a 2002 poll by Winston Group indicating that telecommuting would make broadband attractive as well. According to the poll, a third of Americans would forgo a pay raise to be able to work from home.
The high relative cost of fast access is also a hurdle. Most people pay about $50 per month for high-speed connections, whereas slower dial-up connections are only $20 a month. In an August 2002 Yankee Group survey, more than 70% of dial-up users cited cost as the main reason they aren't upgrading to faster access.