In early 2000, Del Webb began a master-planned community called Anthem on 6,000 acres 45 minutes north of Phoenix.

There were two things about Anthem that made it unusual. One was that the 15,000 homes were being spread over two villages, one a gated golf course community called Anthem Country Club; the other a "family” development called Anthem Parkside.

The other unusual thing about Anthem was that the developer had created an "intranet,” protected from outside access by a firewall, through which the early residents of both communities could communicate with one another and the developer.

The intranet site was staffed full-time and updated daily. What has made it possible is cutting-edge fiber-optic technology, known as "to the curb" installation, that makes high-speed data transmission and digital cable-television service a reality for every resident.

Del Webb, in partnership with the broadband services division of what was then US West, installed fiber-optic cable as part of Anthem's infrastructure -- a first for the developer. Every house has three digital TV connections and high-speed Internet access through a "gateway" box, inside the entrance to the house, that looks like a modem box.

The idea of wiring houses for broadband was new, and what Del Webb, now a part of Pulte, did was still relatively rare in the industry. Most residential builders were still complaining about the cost of such advanced wiring, even though it was much less expensive for new construction than old houses -- a situation that ended with the introduction of the wireless router for residential use.

Technological advances over the last decade have made advanced wiring a standard feature of much of today's residential construction market. It has also affected the habits of every age group, especially the baby boomer segment.

A study conducted by Zanthus, a consumer market technology firm, and released in early summer, found that the notion that baby boomers were not as tech savvy as those in other age groups was wrong.

In fact, the survey found that "baby boomers, like other generations, have come to view the personal computer and that Internet as an essential tool in their daily lives.” The findings, based on interviews with 600 Americans 50 years old and older who had bought houses in the four years before the study was conducted in early 2007, confirmed data from other surveys, for example, the 2006 by Pew Internet and American Life Project, which found that "when compared with GenXers, boomers who own computers are significantly more likely to use the Internet for information-gathering, particularly regarding health, medical and nutritional information.”

This information allows boomers to gather information about daily care and non-emergency treatment while remaining at home, the Zanthus survey concluded. "Social computing,” as the use of software to support social interaction and communication is called, has within it a "niche” market called "telemedicine,” which allows boomers to be "freed from formal institutions when it comes to treating and living with chronic illness.”

What technology provides is a means of continued independence, as much or more than universal design features incorporated in active-adult construction to allow homeowners to remain in their homes as their physical needs change.

"What's interesting to us about these results is that, while seniors are confident and secure today, as they look ahead, they can identify areas in which simple choices in home design and construction will help them live safely and independently for years to come,” said David Swift, president of Whirlpool North America.

"With these results, we can now identify innovations that will allow us to continue to meet the needs of this very important segment of the population,” he said.

Seniors are designing their homes to stay active, engaged and in touch. More than half in the Zanthus survey said they have home offices. A large majority have broadband Internet access at home, while more than half have WiFi access when the leave home.

Unlike 10 years ago, when about 15 percent of all residential construction had wiring for computer access, more than two-thirds have it today. Fewer than 10 percent of those surveyed said they had no Internet access at home.

The survey indicated that those over 65 seem to be saying that "the aging process is taking less of a toll of them than they had expected,” said Tim Woods, vice president of Continental Automated Building Association's Internet Home Alliance Research Council, which funded the Zanthus study.

"Seniors are designing homes and choosing upgrades that will let them stay fully engaged with friends and family,” Woods said. "Hubs of activity, whether in the form of a gourmet kitchen, for entertaining or a home office with broadband or wireless technology, are essential.”

While technology has become essential to daily living, how much of it and what forms it should take often defy decision-making.

For example, only 29 percent of active-adult homes in the survey have a central audio system, but 40 percent of those who had opted against audio wiring said they would have gotten it if they could make the decision over again.