A survey of communications industry leaders suggests that customers now view high-speed Internet as more important than HDTV, digital phone service and other new technologies.

Research company Pike & Fischer recently surveyed executives, engineers and consultants representing the cable, telephone, satellite TV, broadcast, and technology equipment industries, along with academics and government regulators in the broadband spac

Survey participants were asked to rank several advanced communications services on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most attractive to customers.

• High-speed data speeds received more rankings of 5 than any other service. Nearly 40 percent of the respondents ranked data rates as a top draw.
• About 25% of participants ranked HDTV service as a 5.
• Digital phone service received the fewest top rankings. Only 9.2 percent of participants ranked it at 5.

With Hulu and other services already offering HDTV over broadband, high-speed Internet is rapidly becoming the primary platform for media.