The twenty largest cable and telephone providers in the US – representing about 94% of the market – acquired over 1.6 million net additional high-speed internet subscribers in the first quarter of 2009, according to new research.
Leichtman Research Group (LRG) said that these broadband providers now account for nearly 69.3 million subscribers – with cable companies having 37.7 million broadband subscribers, and telephone companies having 31.5 million.
LRG also found that the top cable companies added over 835,000 subscribers, representing 52% of the net broadband additions for the quarter versus the top telephone companies.
Overall, broadband additions in 1Q 2009 amounted to 73% of those in 1Q 2008 – with cable having 70% as many additions as a year ago, and Telcos 77%.
The top cable broadband providers have a 55% share of the overall market, with a 6.2 million subscriber advantage over the top telephone companies, said LRG.
Bruce Leichtman, president and LRG principal analyst, said: “Net broadband additions in 1Q 2009 were about 600,000 more than in 4Q 2008, and the most since the first quarter of 2008.
“Yet, given the traditional seasonality of the broadband industry, it should not be a surprise if net adds in 2Q 2009 are half of what they were in 1Q 2009.”
Globally, broadband information service Point Topic recently increased its forecast for the number of fixed broadband lines in the world by the end of 2009 from 493 million to 496 million (see Global broadband lines to reach 496m by end of 2009).
In March, meanwhile, figures from Informa Telecoms & Media revealed that global fixed broadband subscriptions stood at 422 million at the end of 2008, adding nearly 68 million subscriptions in the year and 16 million in the final quarter (see Global fixed broadband subscriptions hit 422m in 2008).
