Broadband growth is slowing in the US, as nearly four out of five households already have fixed broadband, according to market researcher Kagan. It estimates cable and telecom providers combined added 339,000 residential internet subscribers in the second quarter.
Growth in Q2 came largely from the cable industry, which added nearly half a million new residential customers versus a net loss for the telecoms of 155,000 customers. However, the growth rate of cable companies slowed on a sequential and annual basis. Nevertheless, net adds in the trailing 12 months are still higher at 2.8 million when compared to the same period in 2018.
Leichtmann Research reported similar figures, estimating the US ISPs added 370,000 new subscribers in Q2. That's only 77 percent of the total added in Q2 2018.
The top cable companies gained about 530,000 subscribers in Q2, 90 percent of their total in the year-earlier period, and ended June with a total 66.2 million broadband customers. Telcos lost 160,000 customers, more than the 110,000 shed in Q2 2018, and ended the quarter with 33.7 million internet customers.
According to Leichtman, the top two cable operators, Comcast and Charter, had the strongest growth in the quarter, adding respectively 209,000 and 350,000 new broadband subscribers.
