When Americans go online at home, three out of five now take the fast lane, according to a survey to from Nielsen/NetRatings.

In August, more than 61 percent of American visits to the Internet were connected by broadband, which includes cable modems, digital subscriber lines and some satellite and fiber connections, Nielsen found. That’s up from about 51 percent a year earlier.

Broadband adoption has become an important measure in recent years. Many new technologies, such as Internet telephone service, require broadband speeds to operate. Local phone companies SBC Communications Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. are spending billions to upgrade their networks with fiber to deliver video and broadband to homes.

“Continuing increase in broadband use is an essential step in a maturing industry,” said Charles Buchwalter, Nielsen vice president of client analytics. “Compared with their narrowband counterparts, broadband users spend more time and money online.”

Nielsen’s survey found that 42 percent of all Americans now have access to broadband at home, up from 36 percent in January. It credited a price war for DSL service for aiding the jump.