I remember when we I started developing residentail broadband in the early 90s, that I felt sucess was when we hit 50% penetration since that is when most applications/content developers would really target the broadband home. I hope this numbers below are correct. 

NEW YORK – More than three-quarters of residential Web users got on the Internet using a high-speed broadband connection in November, according to a study released Tuesday. 

The 78 percent broadband penetration rate for
U.S. homes represents a jump from 65 percent a year earlier, Nielsen/NetRatings found. 

The research company said broadband users spent 33 percent more time online than dial-up users – nearly 35 hours for the month, compared with 26 hours and some change for dial-up. Broadband users also viewed twice as many Web pages. 

Games, instant messaging, e-mail and social networking were among the leading activities among high-speed users. 

“What most of these Web sites have in common is that they engage the consumer for an extended period of time by offering a way to connect with others,” said Carolyn Creekmore, Nielsen/NetRatings‘ senior director of media analytics.