About 580,000 Added Broadband in 3Q 2018

DURHAM, NH — Leichtman Research Group (LRG) found that the largest cable and telephone providers in the U.S. representing about 95 percent of the market – acquired about 580,000 net additional broadband Internet subscribers in 3Q 2018, compared to a pro forma gain of about 390,000 subscribers in 3Q 2017.

These top broadband providers now account for 97.7 million subscribers, with top cable companies having 63.6 million broadband subscribers, and top telephone companies having 34.1 million subscribers.

Findings for the quarter include:

• Overall, broadband additions in 3Q 2018 were 149 percent of those in 3Q 2017
  The top cable companies added about 730,000 subscribers in 3Q 2018 – compared to about 540,000 net adds in 3Q 2017


• Comcast added 363,000 broadband subscribers in 3Q 2018, the most net adds in a third quarter for Comcast since 2008


• The top telephone companies lost about 150,000 subscribers in 3Q 2018 – compared to a net loss of about 155,000 subscribers in 3Q 2017


• Telcos have had net broadband losses in each of the past ten quarters
  In the first three quarters of 2018, cable companies added about 2,165,000 broadband subscribers, while Telcos lost about 325,000 subscribers

“The broadband industry added about 150 percent as many subscribers in 3Q 2018 as in last year’s third quarter,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group. “This quarter marked the first year-to-year quarterly broadband subscriber increases in a third quarter since 3Q 2014.”