Global fixed broadband connections reached 1.16 billion in Q3 2020, with quarterly growth of 2 percent, according to the latest Point Topic data. This follows a drop in subscribers in Q4 2019 and a gradual recovery in Q1/Q2 2020. Net additions in Q3 reached 22.97 million, compared to 19.67 million in Q2 2020 and 22.53 million in Q3 2019.
The recovery varied across different markets, with 17 countries seeing a drop in fixed broadband subscriptions in Q3 2020, compared to 26 in Q2 2020. Just over half of all net fixed broadband subscriber additions in Q3 came from East Asia, with retained the largest regional market share of all subscribers at 47 percent.
On a country level, fixed broadband subscribers jumped in 87 percent of the 131 countries covered by the research, up from 80 percent in Q2 2020. China added 11 million fixed broadband subscribers in Q3. The highest fibre broadband growth rates were seen in developing markets, with the UK, Ireland and France also seeing quarterly double-figure growth. Between Q3 2020 and Q3 2029 the number of copper lines dropped 11.5 percent, with the number of FTTH connections growing by 10.9 percent.
