The age range that will show the greatest growth in the US over the next 10 years is the 55 to 64 bracket, according to the Census. This age group will grow 48%; the total population will only grow 9% over the same period. The baby boomer phenomenon is not restricted to the US -- it is apparent in many countries around the world.

Research from Pew Internet & American Life indicates that more people ages 35 to 54 have broadband than they do dial-up at home. This is particularly apparent in the 45 to 54 age range.

US At-Home Broadband and Dial-Up Users (% of respondents)

According to a recent report from Nielsen//NetRatings, older internet users were the fastest growing segment using broadband in December 2002. Nearly 3 million surfers ages 55 to 64 accessed the web via high-speed connections, surging 78% year-over-year. More than 3.1 million internet users ages 50 to 54 logged online using faster connections last month, up 75%.

Considering all these statistics, reports Macklin, it appears that the broadband baby boomer will be an important demographic segment for marketers, retailers and service providers in the coming years. These people will want greater amounts of online health information, more sophisticated online tools to manage their finances, better and simpler applications so they can keep in touch with friends and family, and home networking or home office devices and services.

Find out more here at eMarketer.