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About 3,500,000 Added Broadband From Top Providers in 2022

Fixed Wireless Services Accounted for 90% of the Broadband Net Adds in 2022

Durham, NH — March 2, 2023 — Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) found that the largest cable and wireline phone providers and fixed wireless services in the U.S. – representing about 95% of the market – acquired about 3,500,000 net additional broadband Internet subscribers in 2022, compared to a pro forma gain of about 3,725,000 subscribers in 2021.   

These top broadband providers account for about 110.5 million subscribers, with top cable companies having 75.6 million broadband subscribers, top wireline phone companies having 30.8 million subscribers, and top fixed wireless services having 4.1 million subscribers.

Findings for the year include:

  • Overall, broadband additions in 2022 were 94% of those in 2021
  • The top cable companies added about 515,000 subscribers in 2022 – compared to about 2.8 million net adds in 2021
  • The top wireline phone companies lost about 180,000 total broadband subscribers in 2022 – compared to about 210,000 net adds in 2021
    • Wireline Telcos had about 2 million net adds via fiber in 2022, offset by about 2.2 million non-fiber net losses
  • Fixed wireless/5G home Internet services from T-Mobile and Verizon added about 3,170,000 subscribers in 2022 – compared to about 730,000 net adds in 2021

“Top broadband providers added about 3.5 million subscribers in 2022.  Fixed wireless services accounted for 90% of the net broadband additions in 2022, compared to 20% of the net adds in 2021,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc.  “Total broadband net adds in 2022 were slightly lower than last year, and down from about 5 million in 2020, but were more than in any year from 2012-2019.”

Broadband ProvidersSubscribers at end of 2022Net Adds in 2022
Cable Companies
Comcast32,151,000 250,000
Charter30,433,000344,000
Cox*5,560,00030,000
Altice4,282,900(103,300)
Mediacom*1,468,0005,000
Cable One**1,060,40014,400
Breezeline**693,781(22,997)
Total Top Cable 75,649,081517,103
Wireline Phone Companies
AT&T15,386,000(118,000)
Verizon7,484,000119,000
Lumen^3,037,000(253,000)
Frontier2,839,00040,000
Windstream*1,175,00010,300
TDS510,00019,700
Consolidated**367,458724
Total Top Wireline Phone30,798,458(181,276)
Fixed Wireless Services
T-Mobile2,646,0002,000,000
Verizon1,452,0001,171,000
Total Top Fixed Wireless4,098,0003,171,000
Total Top Broadband110,545,5393,506,827
Sources: The Companies and Leichtman Research Group, Inc.

*    LRG estimate

**   Includes LRG estimate of pro forma net adds

^    Includes the impact of a divestiture completed in October 2022

TDS residential subscribers, includes 305,200 wireline subscribers and 204,800 cable subscribers

Company subscriber counts may not solely represent residential households – about 6.5% of the total are non-residential

Top broadband providers represent approximately 95% 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

About Leichtman Research Group, Inc.

Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) specializes in research and analysis on broadband, media and entertainment industries. LRG combines ongoing consumer surveys with industry tracking and analysis, to provide companies with a richer understanding of current market conditions, and the potential impact and adoption of new products and services. For more information about LRG, please call (603) 397-5400 or visit www.LeichtmanResearch.com.

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