About 4% of local online consumers using broadband Internet access
Nearly 10% of all online users surf with DSL or cable
The results of a recent research project into the demographics of the Web
launched by the National Cable and
Telecommunications Association indicates the broadband community in the U.S.
consists of 5.5 million people, or about 8.5% of the 65,000,000 users having
online access who have access in the mainland. The majority of these users
access the Internet through carriers such as
AT&T Broadband and
AOL-Time Warner Inc's RoadRunner service.
You might be surprised to know that here at home, that percentage is consistent
with the number of users who take advantage of broadband internet access from
local Internet service providers. Recent local data indicates that of the
approximate 28,000 homes on the island which could avail of online access, about
6.5% (less than 1,825) are using either DSL or cable modem technologies to
access get online. Internet Service Provider
Talaya has the majority of the
broadband online consumer market, with more than 600 customers signed up for its
DSL product offering. Rival telecomm firm
InternetPCI has about 450 users on its own DSL network, and Guam's first
ISP, Kuentos Communications serves more than
700 users on its cable modem network, since
merging with Marianas
Cablevision last year. (There are only a handful of consumers using
ISDN service through either Talaya, Kuentos, or PCI.)
Local consumers use broadband access mainly as a means of faster Internet
connectivity, largely consisting of Web browsing, and e-mail. It is rare
that users make use of the abundance of speed for applications such as
videoconferencing, IP networking, or remote systems management, the true .
Likewise, many of the advanced applications of broadband communications making
use of cross-media convergence are not yet supported by vendors, ISPs, or
utilized by businesses.
InternetPCI President John Day says that while
initial acceptance of the long-awaited DSL access was great, the numbers in
signups have tapered off, due largely to the increase in competition, complaints
about rates comparable to that of providers in the states, the
consolidation/bundling of services by ISPs, and the general downturn of the
local economy. However, Day is optimistic about local consumers being able
to more-effectively realize the benefits of highspeed Internet access.
"These days, people are staying online for hours at a time doing MP3s and things
of that nature....we'll start to see more and more people really start to use
broadband for what it was intended for...more advanced data communications."
Local data also shows that the there are more than 35,000 online
users on Guam (including corporate, military, UOG,
and GovGuam accounts).
Guam's broadband
market |
Internet Service Provider |
Broadband Media Platform |
Throughput Rate |
Average Monthly Rate |
Rough # of users supported |
Talaya Internet Services |
DSL |
1.28Mbps |
$73 |
655 |
Kuentos Communications |
Cable
modem |
100Kbps
/ 200Kbps |
$59.95 /
$89.95 |
720 |
InternetPCI |
DSL |
1.28Mbps |
$79 |
450 |
|
|