DURHAM, N.H.—New data from the Leichtman Research Group highlights the increased competition cable operators are facing from wireless carriers who are offering fixed wireless broadband services using their expanding 5G networks.
The report 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. Fixed wireless services accounted for 90% of the broadband net adds in 2022, Leichtman reported.
“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.” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc.
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 2.4 million net adds via fiber in 2022, offset by about 2.6 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.
Comcast remained the largest broadband provider at the end of 2022, with 32,151,000 subs (up 250,000), followed by Charter at 30,433,000 subs (up 344,000), Cox at 5,560,000 (up 30,000), Altice at 4,282,900 (up 103,300), Mediacom at 1,468,000 (up 5,000), Cable One at 1,060,400 (up 14,400) and Breezeline at 693,781 (down 22,997), according to Leichtman.
The top cable operators gained about 517,103 subs in 2022.
Among the wireline phone company, AT&T led with 15,386,000 subs (down 118,000), followed by Verizon at 7,484,000 subs (down 119,000), Lumen at 3,037,000 (down 253,000) and Frontier at 2,839,000 (up 40,000), according to Leichtman. The largest wireline phone companies lost about 181,276 broadband subs in 2022.
Among the Fixed Wireless Services T-Mobile led with 2,646,000 subs (up 2,000,000), followed by Verizon at 1,452,000 (up 1,171,000), according to Leichtman.
