The number of global fixed broadband subscribers rose at its second-highest rate in six quarters in 3Q’15, rising 1.36 percent sequentially, according to Point Topic. A rise in new FTTH subscribers was the main growth driver.
Fiber was the broadband access technology with the strongest worldwide growth rate for the second consecutive quarter, Point Topic highlights in a blog post. The number of new fiber subscribers exceeded that for end-to-end copper for the quarter, showing that the decline in end-to-end copper is accelerating, the market research company noted.
U.S. Broadband Connections
FTTH’s share of the broadband subscriber base in the U.S. and Canada increased, as it did for the Americas region collectively. The U.S. became the second country in which broadband connections surpass 100 million in 3Q’15.

Globally, the number of FTTH broadband subscribers rose 57 percent globally year over year in 3Q´15. That for FTTx rose 14.4 percent while the growth rate for wireless broadband access was 17.1 percent.
Satellite broadband access’s market share rose 10.0 percent, while that for cable services increased 6.8 percent. Fixed copper network broadband’s share dropped 15 percent. The share of subscribers for other modes of broadband access rose 5.3 percent.
Image courtesy of flickr user DeclanTM.