About 4,860,000 Added Broadband From Top Providers in 2020

The largest cable and wireline phone providers in the US – representing about 96% of the market – acquired about 4,860,000 net additional broadband Internet subscribers in 2020, compared to a pro forma gain of about 2,550,000 subscribers in 2019. These top broadband providers now account for 105.8 million subscribers, with top cable companies having 72.8 million broadband subscribers, and top wireline phone companies having 33 million subscribers. Overall, broadband additions in 2020 were 190% of those in 2019, and more than in any year since 2008. The top cable companies added about 4,820,000 subscribers in 2020 – compared to about 3,145,000 net adds in 2019, and the most in any year since 2006. Charter’s 2,215,000 net broadband additions in 2020 were more than any company had in a year since 2006. The top wireline phone companies added about 40,000 subscribers in 2020 – compared to a loss of about 590,000 subscribers in 2019. Telcos had positive net annual broadband adds for the first year since 2014.