According to the Leichtman Research Group, the 17 largest cable and telephone providers in the United States - representing about 94% of the market - acquired nearly 1.2 million net additional high-speed Internet subscribers in the first quarter of 2015. Of the 1.2 million total, cable accounted for more than 1 million. The top broadband providers now account for more than 88.5 million subscribers, with top cable companies having about 53 million broadband subscribers and top telephone companies having more than 35.5 million subscribers.
Other findings for the quarter indicate:
- Overall, broadband additions in 1Q 2015 were similar to those in 1Q 2014.
- The top cable companies accounted for 86% of the net broadband additions for the quarter vs. the top telephone companies.
- The top cable companies added more than 1 million broadband subscribers in 1Q 2015, representing 104% of the net additions for the top cable companies in 1Q 2014.
- The top telephone companies added about 160,000 subscribers, 81% of the total net additions for the top telephone companies in 1Q 2014.
- AT&T (NYSE:T) and Verizon (NYSE:VZ) added 573,000 subscribers via U-verse and FiOS in 1Q 2015, while having a net loss of 463,000 DSL subscribers. U-verse and FiOS broadband subscribers now account for 54% of telco broadband subscribers, compared to 40% two years ago.
- The top cable broadband providers now have a 60% share of the market vs. telcos for the first time since 2Q 2005.
- Over the past year, there were about 3 million net broadband adds, compared to about 2,700,000 over the prior year
"This was the first quarter with over a million net broadband adds for cable since 1Q 2008," wrote Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for LRG. "Cable also accounted for 90% of the 3 million broadband additions over the past year, growing their market share vs. telcos back to 60% for the first time in nearly a decade."
