Top Broadband Providers Now Account For Over 83.6 Million Subscribers

DURHAM, NH - Leichtman Research Group (LRG), which provides research and analysis on broadband trends, found that the seventeen largest cable and telephone providers in the US - representing about 93 percent of the market - acquired about 520,000 net additional high-speed Internet subscribers in the third quarter of 2013. These top broadband providers now account for over 83.6 million subscribers - with top cable companies having nearly 48.7 million broadband subscribers, and top telephone companies having over 34.9 million subscribers.

Other broadband findings for the quarter include:

• Overall, broadband additions in 3Q 2013 amounted to 90 percent of those in 3Q 2012


• The top cable companies accounted for 84 percent of the net broadband additions for the quarter versus the top telephone companies


• The top cable companies added about 440,000 subscribers, representing 76 percent as many additions as in 3Q 2012


• The top telephone companies added about 80,000 subscribers, compared to a gain of about 4,000 in 3Q 2012


• AT&T and Verizon added 828,000 fiber subscribers (via U-verse and FiOS) in 3Q 2013, while having a net loss of 798,000 DSL subscribers.


• U-verse and FiOS broadband subscribers now account for 45 percent of Telco broadband subscribers - compared to 36 percent a year ago

"With top providers now having over 83.6 million subscribers, the broadband industry continues to grow, but at a slightly slower pace than a year ago," said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group. "In the first three quarters of 2013, the top providers added about 1,930,000 subscribers, compared to about 2,150,000 in the first three quarters of 2012."