LONDON -- Point Topic's latest analysis of the world broadband market, shows the total number of broadband lines (provided by DSL, cable modems and other technologies) reached 100.8m at 31 December 2003, marking a 26.6% increase in the previous six months and 62.8% in the whole of 2003. At the end of 2002 there were about 62m broadband lines worldwide. Growth was particularly strong in the second half of 2003, where broadband service providers added a massive 21m lines.

DSL drawing ahead of cable modems

DSL continued to pull ahead of cable modems as the most widely used broadband technology. The number of DSL lines increased by 79% to 64m in the year but the number of lines using other broadband technologies - mainly cable modems - increased by only 41% to 37m. The increases in the second half of 2003 were 32% and 18% respectively.

Market continuing to mature

The broadband market in general is beginning to mature. The number of broadband lines in a country is increasingly closely proportional to its gross national product. The time when the market was led by relatively small 'early adopter' countries is passing. The 'Top Ten' countries in terms of number of broadband lines now includes all the G7 countries plus China, and the two 'Asian Tigers,' South Korea and Taiwan.

DSL gains ground in North America

The USA remains the world's leading broadband country overall with over 25.1m recorded lines and Canada is fifth with 4.7m. Even in North America, where cable modems have usually led the market, DSL is starting to show faster percentage growth, driven by price cuts and increasingly competitive offers in the second half of 2003. DSL added 23% to its North American installed base in the second half of the year, against under 17% growth by cable modems - but cable modems still added more in terms of absolute numbers.