DURHAM, N.H.—Leichtman Research Group is reporting that the largest cable and wireline phone providers and fixed wireless services in the U.S. – representing about 96% of the market – acquired about 3,520,000 net additional broadband Internet subscribers in 2023, similar to a pro forma gain of 3,530,000 subscribers in 2022.
But, all of those gains could all be traced to the expansion of fixed wireless/5G services, with fixed wireless/5G home Internet services from T-Mobile and Verizon adding about 3,665,000 subscribers in 2023 – compared to about 3,185,000 net adds in 2022. In contrast, cable operators lost about 65,000 subscribers in 2023 – compared to about 530,000 net adds in 2022.
The top wireline phone companies lost about 80,000 total broadband subscribers in 2023 – compared to about 180,000 net losses in 2022, LRG reported.
Overall the top broadband providers account for about 114.7 million subscribers, with top cable companies having 76.1 million broadband subscribers, top wireline phone companies having over 30.7 million subscribers, and top fixed wireless services having over 7.8 million subscribers, LRG reported.
“Top broadband providers added about 3.5 million subscribers in 2023, similar to the number of broadband adds in 2022,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc. “Over the past four years, top providers added about 15.9 million broadband subscribers, compared to about 10.2 million net broadband adds in the prior four (pre-pandemic) years.”
LRG also reported that wireline telcos had about 1.97 million net adds via fiber in 2023, offset by about 2.05 million non-fiber net losses and that fixed wireless services accounted for 104% of the total net broadband additions in 2023, compared to 90% of the net adds in 2022, and 20% of the net adds in 2021.
Comcast remained the largest broadband provider with 32,253,000, down 66,000 subs, followed by Charter (30,588,000, up 155,000), AT&T (15,288,000, down 98,000) and Verizon (7,650,000, up 166,000).
Among fixed wireless services, T-Mobile led with 4,776,000, up 2,130,000, followed by Verizon (3,067,000, up 1,536,000). and Altice (4,517,900, down 114,100).
