The number of fixed broadband subscribers worldwide passed a billion in 2018, ending the year with 1.027 billion. 46.5% of those subscribers are in East Asia, which provided 58.7% of all net additions. Europe had almost 230 million subscribers, while North America had approaching 125 million.
From 958 million subscribers at the start of 2018, the global number passed a billion in September and ended the year at 1,027 million. The number rose by 20 million, or 2%, in the last quarter, slightly lower than the rate of growth in the previous three quarters.
Quarterly growth declined in Asia, Oceania and the Americas, but increased in all other regions, including Africa, which grew by over 5% quarter-on-quarter although it has the lowest fixed broadband penetration at 3.6%.
The figures from Point Topic show that the number of copper connections continued to decline, having dropped by 8% in 2018, while fibre to the curb or premises connections increased by 29% and cabled based subscriptions gained 3%.
China continued to see the largest growth of fibre connections, up by 24% over the year, constituting three quarters of fibre to the premises additions in 2018.
China has 400 million broadband subscribers, while the United States has 110 million, followed by Japan with 39 million. The United Kingdom ranks eighth, with 26 million.