Verizon FiOS Internet, delivered over the nation's most advanced, all-digital fiber-optic network straight to customers' doors, has been rated No. 1 in a national ISP survey. Computerworld magazine reports that the results of its recent survey of more than 1,100 broadband users of the nation's top six broadband services show that Verizon FiOS Internet stands "head and shoulders above the rest."

"There's little doubt as to the best U.S. broadband ISP, according to our readers - Verizon FiOS wins by a wide margin," the magazine reports.

Verizon FiOS was the only broadband service that scored first in all eight of the survey's categories: overall satisfaction, connection reliability, download speed, upload speed, customer service, technical support, value and e-mail service. FiOS Internet service is now enjoyed by more than 1 million customers nationwide and is growing every day.

"The comments from this survey strongly speak for themselves," said John Wimsatt, senior vice president for Verizon Telecom marketing. "Computerworld readers know technology, and we're honored by their overwhelmingly positive assessment of FiOS Internet service. The results of this survey validate what we've known all along: Verizon customers appreciate the difference our all-fiber network brings by delivering faster speed, better reliability, more advanced services, and superior entertainment and online experiences."

In reporting the survey results, Computerworld noted that Verizon FiOS "really stood out" in connection reliability and speed, with readers rating it 4.8 (on a 5.0 point scale). "If there's any doubt that the future of broadband is fiber optics, just take a look at the favorability ratings for connection speeds and reliability of Verizon FiOS," the publication reported. "Connection reliability was rated excellent by a mind-boggling 86% of those who responded."

Computerworld added that, "FiOS users practically crowed about their download speeds, with 92% rating them excellent or good.

"So it's clearly the reliability and speed of the FiOS connections that made Verizon FiOS customers give it top ratings for overall satisfaction (84% excellent and good combined) and value (78% excellent and good combined)," the magazine said.

The publication also noted that "Verizon FiOS customers are exceedingly happy with the value they get," and that when it came to satisfaction with value "no one else came close" to Verizon's FiOS ratings.

Does your Internet service choice show your age? It just might. In-Stat recently conducted an online survey among 1,013 North American broadband users. The survey found that the age group with the highest use of cable broadband is the 18-29 year old segment with more than 69 percent choosing cable over DSL. That same age group also had the lowest use of DSL broadband.

Compared to last year's results and that of December 2003, this most recent survey indicates a significant rise in cable broadband use for Generation Y. In February 2006, 56.2 percent of them had cable broadband. And in December 2003, 50.8 percent of broadband users age 18-29 used cable broadband.

In-Stat concludes that the 18-29 age group in North America seems to be finding cable broadband more attractive. Cable broadband has historically offered more bandwidth than DSL, and younger subscribers are considered power users who are looking for service that allows them to download the latest music, videos, and online games.

If you need help choosing between cable and DSL, check out the Comparing Cable and DSL High Speed section of the ConnectMyHighSpeed Internet Buyers Guide.

If you are planning to get high-speed Internet service for your home, you should also start thinking about how you are going to take advantage of the amazing broadband speeds you are going to experience. You probably already know about music downloading, video clips, and online gaming but did you know you can watch live TV online too? I currently listen to radio online and I knew that you could get subscriptions to various sporting events. However, it turns out there are a ton of other sites that offer live content.

Find Internet TV™ recently announced the launch of its program Listings for live Internet TV. According to their press release, Find Internet TV Listings is the first to provide Internet users a programming grid to find live online video content. The Listings contains schedules for a variety of programming from around the world, including entertainment television, sporting events, music, and news.

"Online video, whether live or on-demand, is expanding immensely, and it has become increasingly difficult for viewers to locate the content they want to watch online. While a number of companies and sites have made their focus to index video clips on the Web, they've left live streaming video on the sidelines," says Curtis Sund, Founder of Find Internet TV. "With our live Internet TV Listings, users now have the ability to visit one central destination for complete and updated lineup of live online content."

The company says that the Find Internet TV program grid provides a high-quality user experience through an easy-to-navigate, feature-rich format. Users have the ability to jump hour-by-hour through the grid or to specific dates and times. In addition, users can save their favorite Internet TV channels for easy access.

The Find Internet TV Listings includes sites broadcasting from all over the world, in different languages, and in different time zones. To provide the best end-user experience, the site automatically adjusts all program runtimes to match the viewer's time zone.

"The number of viewers who are looking for live television content on the Internet is tremendous and ever-growing. We have witnessed it through our directory and search engine when live events take place. This first-of-its-kind live Internet TV Listings is a win-win solution for both viewers and content providers," said Birgit Schelzel, Marketing Manager for Find Internet TV.

In 2006, the number of DSL subscribers worldwide grew by more than 30 percent to reach almost 185 million by the end of the year. Global broadband subscribers increased to more than 281 million, according to the latest statistics prepared for the international DSL Forum by industry analyst Point Topic. This meant that an increase of 67 million people subscribed to broadband in 2006—with almost two-thirds of new subscribers selecting digital subscriber line technology (DSL) to deliver their broadband services.

Worldwide, DSL remains by far the most popular Internet service technology with a 65.7 percent market share. DSL accounts for almost 88 percent of all broadband subscribers in the Middle East and Africa—the fastest growing broadband region—and 81 percent in the European Union (EU). The EU added more than 17.6 million DSL subscribers in the year to maintain its position as the world's number one broadband and DSL region.

In global terms, the United States is the world's largest broadband market at more than 57 million subscribers. China, the second largest market, is rapidly closing the gap and added 14.4 million broadband subscribers in 2006—more than three million more than the United States—to reach 51.9 million. Thirteen countries now have over three million DSL subscribers, with a further three—the Netherlands (at 2,957,000 subscribers), Turkey (at 2,935,900) and Mexico (at 2,725,683)—fast approaching. In total, 26 nations have more than one million DSL subscribers, with Denmark, Argentina and Russia passing the figure in 2006.

"These latest broadband subscriber figures clearly show that DSL is the preferred delivery method for efficient, high-speed broadband around the world," said George Dobrowski, DSL Forum chairman and president. "With the growing popularity of IPTV over DSL, we expect the DSL market to continue grow in two dimensions; more customers and higher bit rates. Through our Technical Reports and BroadbandSuite™ initiative, which expands our work well beyond our DSL roots, the DSL Forum is delivering the specifications needed to provide customers an excellent experience and service providers the tools for efficient operations and management."

Bay Area residents are spending more time online and the majority are now using high-speed DSL to do so, according to results of the 2007 Bay Area Council Poll of 600 residents released recently.

In 1999, the average number of hours residents estimated they spent online per week was 11 hours, but that estimate has steadily increased to 16 hours in 2007. San Francisco residents spend the most time online, averaging 18 hours a week, and North Bay residents of Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano spend 13 hours online each week, the least amount in the region.

Residents have also been trading up on their connection speeds in their homes, outpacing the rest of the United States. Just five years ago, in 2002, 53 percent of residents with Internet access logged onto with a regular modem, but today modems are used by a mere 11 percent of residents. Instead, the majority (55 percent) now use high-speed DSL, and about another third (29 percent) log on with high-speed cable at their home. The Bay Area, as a region, is far ahead of the rest of the country in broadband access, with a 62 percent adoption rate, versus 42 percent of the total U.S. population in 2006 according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

While hours online and connection speeds have increased, the number of residents who use a personal computer has stayed relatively flat. In 1999, 79 percent or respondents used a PC either at home, work or at school, and today 81 percent report that they do.

The "Digital Divide" was apparent in the Bay Area Council Poll results. While 97 percent of those with an income greater than $80,000 regularly use a computer, only 62 percent of respondents with an income lower than $40,000 use a PC. Likewise, 95 percent of residents in the top income bracket access the Internet, but only 52 percent of those with an income less than $40,000 do so.

For more information, check out the Bay Area Council press release.

Broadband Internet access is gradually becoming a defining characteristic of advanced industrialized economies. In the latest update to ABI Research's online Broadband Subscribers Database, ABI forecasts that the total number of DSL and cable broadband users in the world will grow by an average of 9 percent annually over the next five years to reach 480 million subscribers by 2012.

"The Asia-Pacific region offers a potentially huge market to tap into," says broadband research analyst Serene Fong, of ABI Research's Asia bureau. "In terms of statistical benchmarking, the subscriber base in the Asia-Pacific region will grow substantially over the next five years, and is expected to outperform other areas. Much of the Asia-Pacific growth is expected to be fueled by the flourishing Chinese broadband market."

Broadband DSL will continue to be the fastest growing sector in the industry, as opposed to cable broadband. Asia-Pacific research director and general manager Jake Saunders comments, "DSL is set for stronger growth than cable across the globe mainly because it is able to leverage existing telecommunications infrastructure, leading to lower prices and greater ease of deployment."

ABI Research's "Broadband Subscribers Database", which is updated twice each year, profiles subscriber trends categorized by operator, by country, and by technology. To read more about this research, check out the press release Broadband to Reach Almost Half a Billion Subscribers Worldwide by 2012.

A broad array of technology companies, media organizations, trade associations and nonprofits recently announced their collaboration in launching Project Online Safety, an educational campaign focused on promoting Internet safety for children. The initiative provides parents and children with a centralized online resource of Internet safety tools and educational materials at www.ProjectOnlineSafety.com, and supports and encourages the broadcast of a series of related national public service advertisements (PSAs) being sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Ad Council.

Project Online Safety is part of an ongoing, industry-wide effort working with leading advocacy organizations to educate parents and children about the importance of online safety. The partners of the initiative that are investing resources to support online safety programs are AT&T, BlogSafety.com, Cable in the Classroom (CIC), Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox Communications, Facebook, Fox Interactive Media (MySpace), Internet Education Foundation, National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), Network Solutions, News Corp., Qwest Communications, Time Warner Cable and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

"Charter is proud to join this industry-wide effort to help make online safety information available to our nation's youth," said Jay Carlson, senior vice president of information technology for Charter Communications. "With the provision of powerful communication tools comes responsibility, and Charter takes the responsibility of raising awareness and education very seriously."

This educational campaign addresses concerns regarding abuse of the Internet to victimize children online. Many companies are currently taking important measures to reduce the potential threats posed by Internet predators and to prosecute individuals who utilize the Internet to prey upon children. For example, companies participating in Project Online Safety are conducting a variety of activities, including national traveling education programs; conducting extensive law enforcement training sessions; and designating specific online locations where parents, guardians and children can learn how they can have safer and more rewarding experiences on the Internet.

In conjunction with the initiative, a new online portal at www.ProjectOnlineSafety.com serves as a central repository where parents, guardians, teachers and children can access numerous Internet safety tools and educational materials, which are made available by the participating companies and organizations. The site serves as a portal through which users may access resources on specific topic areas of interest, such as parental control technologies, ways to report trouble online, cyberbullying, and safe web sites for children. In addition, users can also click on a participating technology company or advocacy organization web page to review their online safety materials and read more about their efforts to help protect children's online experiences.

For more information on this project, read the National Cable & Telecommunications Association press release.