U.S. Leads Global Broadband Population

Online staff -- Electronic News, 9/22/2004

DSL broadband technology added more than 30 million subscribers in the 12 months leading up June 30 to reach a global total of 78 million, more than double that of the other broadband access technologies in the same year, according to the latest data from market research firm Point Topic.

Total broadband subscribers grew by almost 55 percent to more than 123 million subscribers in the same frame. On a geographical basis, North American subscribers increased by 48 percent, compared to the 31 percent growth in cable and other technologies.

In the U.S., which is the world’s largest total broadband population, DSL grew 3 percent in market share with nearly 4 million new subscribers. Canadian DSL subscribers now account for 48 percent of the total broadband market. South and East Asia was the fastest growing region for DSL subscribers in the 12 months leading up to June 30, with a 110 percent growth rate, while the Middle East and Africa showed a 107 percent increase, and Latin America a rise of 104 percent.

The European Union narrowly took over as the number one DSL region from Asia-Pacific, with a total of over 23 million subscribers, about 11 million of them joining the DSL community in the last 12 months, the firm noted.

China now leads the world in delivering DSL broadband services, climbing up from fourth position a year prior. Almost 13 million subscribe to broadband DSL in China, an increase of nearly 7 million in one year, representing 119 percent growth. The U.K. has more than 1.65 million new subscribers in the year ended June 30, and moved up from eleventh to eighth position. Australia entered the top 20 DSL countries list for the first time after showing growth of nearly 147 percent in one year. A total of 13 countries now have more than 1 million broadband DSL subscribers; 11 have more than two million and three -- China, Japan and the U.S. -- have more than 10 million each.