The total number of DSL subscribers around the world reached 63.84 million at year end 2003, according to new figures released by the DSL Forum and Point Topic, representing a gain of 9.26 million in the three months -- the biggest ever growth in numbers of subscribers in any quarter. China (even excluding Hong Kong) now has the most DSL lines in service, overtaking Japan, the U.S. and South Korea.
North America added more than three million new DSL subscribers during 2003, 2.66 million of them in the USA, making it the third leading growth country in the world last year. Growth in the USA was fastest in the last six months of 2003, when 1.9 million homes and businesses signed up to broadband DSL - 75% of the total annual growth. Canada, with more than 440,000 new DSL subscribers in the year was the eleventh largest growth country in the world.
| Most DSL Subscribers by Country 31-Dec-2003 | ||
| Country | Previous Rank | DSL Subscribers |
| China | 3 | 10,950,000 |
| Japan | 1 | 10,272,052 |
| USA | 2 | 9,119,000 |
| South Korea | 4 | 6,435,955 |
| Germany | 5 | 4,500,000 |
| France | 6 | 3,262,700 |
| Taiwan | 7 | 2,800,000 |
| Italy | 9 | 2,280,000 |
| Canada | 8 | 2,170,243 |
| UK | - | 1,820,230 |
Source: The DSL Forum and Point Topic | ||
