High speed internet connections are finding their way into homes and businesses across the US, but the rate of growth has slipped compared to last year, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

According to figures released by the FCC the number of high speed lines, offering 200kbps in at least one direction, connecting homes and businesses to the internet grew 27% to 16.2 million in the first six months of 2002. In the previous period the number of lines grew 33% to 12.8 million.

Of the 16.2 million high speed lines, 14 million served homes or small businesses, up 27% from six months earlier.

Advanced services, which offer 200kbps or more in both directions, accounted for 10.4 million lines, up 41%. Around 8.7 million of these served homes or small business.

ADSL accounted for 5.1 million lines, up 29%, compared to a 47% increase in the preceding six months. Cable modem service lines were up 30% to 9.2 million lines. In the second half of 2001, the growth rate was 36%.

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