Last year saw record growth for US broadband internet access services, with cable and DSL providers adding a combined 6.4 million subscribers over the period, according to Leichtman Research Group.
Cable and DSL (digital subscriber line) internet platforms now reach 17.4 million users in the US.
Leichtman forecasts that high-speed customers are set to overtake the number of dial-up users in 2005, hitting almost 49 million subscribers by the end of 2007. This figure does not include users of high-speed services provided by other platforms, such as satellite or wireless.
Cable is the leading broadband system in the US, with 11.3 million users in 2002, taking 65% of the market. The DSL platform picks up the remainder. Last year, cable added 4.3 million broadband subscribers, compared to a 2.1 million addition for the major DSL providers.
“The expectations for broadband growth have come to fruition as 12 million US subscribers have added DSL or cable internet services in the past two years,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group. “While the future for broadband continues to look bright, new challenges for growth will arise as the need to attract a more price sensitive consumer base increases.”
