U.S. Telcos Gain Net New Broadband Accounts in 3Q 2020

It might be too early to say whether this is a trend, but U.S. telcos actually gained net broadband accounts in the third quarter of 2020, gaining about 14 percent of total net new additions in the quarter, while cable TV operators got the rest, about 86 percent. 

That might not sound like a big deal, but in most quarters over the last decade, telcos collectively have lost broadband accounts. There were a couple of exceptions, but the net positive growth is quite a change. 

Net Broadband Additions, U.S. Telcos, Third Quarter 2020
AT&T	15,375,000	174,000
Verizon	7,069,000	110,000
CenturyLink/Lumen^	4,563,000	(75,000)
Frontier	3,119,000	(23,000)
Windstream	1,102,300	12,900
Consolidated	792,211	1,008
TDS	487,700	8,200
Cincinnati Bell	434,500	2,500

source: Leichtman Research