Broadband: High-speed access goes mainstream Residential broadband took off in earnest in the United States in 2003, as local phone carriers finally got serious about offering their customers high-speed Internet service. Verizon Communications, SBC Communications, Qwest Communications International and BellSouth all moved to beef up their DSL (digital subscriber line) offerings and make them more attractive to customers through expanded service, price cuts and aggressive marketing. Those moves helped drive DSL growth and put pressure on cable broadband providers to respond with their own and . Broadband services added new subscribers at a brisk clip, with DSL growing more than 30 percent between January and September to some 8.2 million customers, according to Leichtman Research Group. For the same period, cable broadband grew just less than 30 percent to 14.5 million subscribers. The clearest losers in the race to broadband for now appear to be . Both services, the two largest dial-up services in the United States, witnessed a staggering drop in their subscriber rolls in the past year, with AOL losing 2 million members over a 12-month period. The biggest winners have been consumers, who now have a choice between several broadband service providers in some major markets. But there is still considerable uncertainty over the future of broadband in the country, which lags global trends in bandwidth price and speed. Meanwhile, the Bells won some significant concessions on broadband deregulation, when the Federal Communications Commission in August issued a long-awaited . But the new rules pleased almost no one and . Meanwhile, cable companies face a in a federal appeals court proceeding that challenges FCC policies aimed at keeping the industry free of regulations that have been imposed on the telephone industry. Regulatory issues aside, delaying broadband deployment has become increasingly untenable for the Bells in the face of growing competition from cable companies. Phone and cable companies have until now been defined by the services they offer. But the distinctions are dropping away with the advent of high-speed digital networks, which are capable of running data, video and voice applications over the same line. As a result, cable and phone companies are increasingly stepping on each other's turf, with cable companies rolling out voice products and phone companies exploring delivering television programming over DSL lines. --Jim Hu America Online gets ready to launch an upgraded version of its service geared toward broadband users, its latest plan to keep some 34 million dial-up account members within the fold. March 30, 2003 For the first time since selling off Excite@Home, Comcast is taking Web programming into its own hands, offering video, music and other content to broadband subscribers. June 6, 2003 Households upgrading to high-speed Net access are basing their decisions on practical necessities rather than a desire for splashy graphics and streaming videos, a new study shows. June 23, 2003 Web surfers are seeing a wave of deals from high-speed DSL services as phone companies brace for a high-stakes battle with cable for communications into the home. July 7, 2003 The software giant signs up Comcast and Time Warner Cable to test out its set-top box technology in effort to revive its stalled cable TV push. July 22, 2003 Dial-up Internet users are more willing to upgrade to DSL than to cable modem service, according to a study. The problem is finding a DSL provider. Aug. 6, 2003 A string of deals between Baby Bells and satellite TV companies signals that local phone companies are scrambling to add video services in a bid to fend off cable rivals. Sept. 2, 2003 The number of broadband subscribers worldwide surged 72 percent in 2002, to 62 million, as more households upgraded their dial-up modems for speedier access, a new study finds. Sept. 16, 2003 The software giant is ending a two-year-old broadband access deal with BellSouth, as it continues to reposition its MSN service for the high-speed Internet. Sept. 24, 2003 Cable companies think raw speed will help them conquer the broadband market, but slower, cheaper services from rival digital subscriber line providers are coming on strong. Oct. 10, 2003 A legal decision striking down a key definition of cable broadband as an information service could signal tougher regulation for the high-speed Internet access industry. Oct. 13, 2003 Many dial-up households say they won't upgrade to broadband because it's too expensive. Will cable modem services resort to dropping prices to compete with phone companies? Oct. 13, 2003 After a quarter marked by DSL price cuts and cable speed boosts, recently released subscriber numbers make it clear: Broadband use is surging, regardless of what form it takes. Oct. 30, 2003 Aggressive promotions target phone company rivals as the industry mulls "tiered" services. Nov. 12, 2003 Cable and DSL providers report their most fruitful quarter ever, adding more than 2 million subscribers to their high-speed Internet services. Nov. 12, 2003