625,000 Subscribers Added Broadband in 3Q 2016

DURHAM, NH — The fourteen largest cable and telephone providers in the US, representing about 95 percent of the market, acquired about 625,000 net additional high-speed Internet subscribers in 3Q 2016, according to Leichtman Research Group (LRG). These top broadband providers now account for 92.5 million subscribers with top cable companies having 57.8 million broadband subscribers, and top phone companies having 34.7 million subscribers.

Other broadband findings for the quarter include:

• Overall, broadband additions in 3Q 2016 were 99 percent of those in 3Q 2015


• The top cable companies added about 775,000 subscribers in 3Q 2016, 99 percent of the net additions for the top cable companies in 3Q 2015


• The top phone companies lost about 150,000 broadband subscribers in 3Q 2016, similar to the loss of about 145,000 in 3Q 2015


• Telco providers have had net broadband losses in five of the past six quarters


• In the first three quarters of 2016, cable companies added about 2,440,000 broadband subscribers, while telcos lost about 475,000 subscribers

"While major providers now account for nearly 92.5 million broadband subscribers in the US, the broadband market continues to expand with top cable providers driving the growth," said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group. "Over the past year, cable companies added more than 3.5 million broadband subscribers, accounting for 118 percent of the 2.995 million net broadband additions."

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