Research: 960K Q1 US broadband adds
May 16, 2023
Findings from Leichtman Research Group indicate that the largest cable and wireline phone providers and fixed wireless services in the US – representing about 96 per cent of the market – acquired about 960,000 net additional broadband Internet subscribers in Q1 2023, compared to a pro forma gain of about 1,085,000 subscribers in Q1 2022.
These top broadband providers now account for over 112 million subscribers, with top cable companies having about 76.2 million broadband subscribers, top wireline phone companies having about 30.8 million subscribers, and top fixed wireless services having about 5 million subscribers.
Findings for the quarter include:
- Overall, broadband additions in Q1 2023 were 89 per cent of those in Q1 2022
- The top cable companies added about 65,000 subscribers in Q1 2023 – compared to about 485,000 net adds in Q1 2022
- The top wireline phone companies lost about 20,000 total broadband subscribers in Q1 2023 – compared to about 65,000 net adds in Q1 2022
- Wireline Telcos had about 500,000 net adds via fibre in Q1 2023, and about 520,000 non-fibre net losses
- Fixed wireless/5G home Internet services from T-Mobile and Verizon added about 915,000 subscribers in Q1 2023 – compared to 530,000 net adds in Q1 2022
“Top broadband providers added nearly one million subscribers in Q1 2023, with fixed wireless services accounting for 95 per cent of the quarterly net adds,” advises Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group. “Over the past year, fixed wireless services have accounted for 105 per cent of the approximately 3,400,000 net broadband additions.”
| Broadband Providers | Subscribers at end of Q1 2023 | Net Adds in Q1 2023 |
| Cable Companies | ||
| Comcast* | 32,324,000 | 5,000 |
| Charter | 30,509,000 | 76,000 |
| Altice* | 4,612,700 | (19,300) |
| Cable One | 1,063,000 | 2,600 |
| Breezeline | 689,903 | (3,878) |
| Other major private companies** | 7,035,000 | 7,000 |
| Total Top Cable | 76,233,603 | 67,422 |
| Wireline Phone Companies | ||
| AT&T | 15,345,000 | (41,000) |
| Verizon | 7,528,000 | 44,000 |
| Lumen | 2,981,000 | (56,000) |
| Frontier | 2,863,000 | 24,000 |
| Windstream^ | 1,175,000 | 0 |
| TDS | 515,400 | 5,400 |
| Consolidated | 369,862 | 2,404 |
| Total Top Wireline Phone | 30,777,262 | (21,196) |
| Fixed Wireless Services | ||
| T-Mobile | 3,169,000 | 523,000 |
| Verizon^^ | 1,866,000 | 393,000 |
| Total Top Fixed Wireless | 5,035,000 | 916,000 |
| Total Top Broadband | 112,045,865 | 962,226 |
Sources: The Companies and Leichtman Research Group, Inc.
* Updated counting of business customers in Q1 2023
** Includes LRG estimates for Cox and Mediacom
^ LRG estimate
^^ Includes adjustments from prior reporting
TDS residential subscribers, includes 310,700 wireline subscribers and 204,700 cable subscribers
Company subscriber counts may not solely represent residential households – about 7 per cent of the total are non-residential
Top broadband providers represent approximately 96 per cent of all subscribers
Net additions reflect pro forma results from system sales and acquisitions, reporting adjustments, and the addition of new providers to the list – therefore, comparing totals in this release to prior releases will not produce accurate findings