Steve Kirkeby, senior director of telecommunications research at J.D. Power and Associates, said " Consumers are managing more aspects of their lives on the Internet-banking, paying bills, managing their calendars and relationships-and they have a greater urgency for privacy and security. Protection against security threats such as hackers and viruses represent the sole black mark in satisfaction trends across both segments."
Household Internet penetration grew to 66 percent in 2004, only a 2 percent growth from 2003. High-speed penetration, however, is still growing at a fast pace. The study finds 39 percent of those with any type of Internet connection have a broadband connection, up from 26 percent in 2003.
Other findings from the study include:
EarthLink ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among the 9 dial-up and 12 high-speed Internet service providers included in the rankings. EarthLink is followed in the dial-up ranking by Juno/NetZero, AT&T WorldNet and BellSouth, respectively. In the high-speed ranking on image and e-mail services, EarthLink is followed by Verizon, Road Runner, and BellSouth and Cox in a tie, respectively.
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