US cablecos looking to sideline DOCSIS4.0The large broadband market in the US is served by many operators, though a few of these account for the vast majority of subscribers. This is equally true in the DSL and cable broadband sectors. To increase data rates. DSL operators over the years have trialled a range of technologies, including iterations of VDSL as well as G.fast, which can provide data at above 1Gb/s. Similarly, cablecos have largely transitioned their networks to DOCSIS3.1. Some have invested in DOCSIS4.0, specifications for which were worked on by CableLabs in 2020. Operators including Comcast, Charter, and Cox are looking to Full Duplex DOCSIS to enable multi-gigabit symmetrical speeds of up to 10Gb/s further into the future. Coherent optics technology could boost the capacity of HFC networks to 1,000Gb/s and above. However, some of the cablecos are looking to suspend the migration to DOCSIS4.0 in preference for broadband service offerings based on FttP. While Cox has been working on DOCSIS4.0 as a development project, the company in February 2022 also announced a multi-billion-dollar investment over several years to deploy a fibre network capable of providing data at up to 10Gb/s, probably in tandem with rolling out DOCSIS4.0 as a subsidiary but minor offering. In part, the investment in fibre could be seen as a commercial response to similar efforts from AT&T and other competitors. Altice USA in 2021 decided to ditch DOCSIS4.0 in preference for covering two-thirds of its footprint with fibre by the end of 2025.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Key statistics
2 Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector
- 2.1 Economic considerations and responses
- 2.2 Subscribers
- 2.3 Infrastructure
3 Regulatory environment
- 3.1 Public Safety Network
- 3.2 Wireless Local Number Portability (WLNP)
- 3.3 Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
- 3.4 Privacy-related legislation
- 3.5 Spectrum
- 3.6 Spectrum swaps and acquisitions
4 Mobile market
- 4.1 Market analysis
- 4.2 Mobile statistics
- 4.3 Mobile infrastructure
- 4.4 Major mobile operators
- 4.5 Mobile content and applications
5 Fixed-line broadband market
- 5.1 Introduction and statistical overview
- 5.2 Policy and regulation framework
- 5.3 Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) network
- 5.4 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
- 5.5 Other fixed broadband services
- 5.6 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP)
- 5.7 Policy and regulation framework
- 5.8 Public (ILEC, CLEC and Municipal) FttP networks
- 5.9 RBOC FttP roll-out
6 Digital -economy
7 Appendix Historic data
8 Glossary of abbreviations
9 Related reports
- Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities USA 2021 (e)
- Table 2 Mobile market revenue 2012 2019
- Table 3 Mobile ARPU 2012 2019
- Table 4 Growth in the number of mobile cell sites 2012 2020
- Table 5 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Table 6 Mobile voice traffic 2012 2020
- Table 7 Mobile data traffic (billion MB) 2012 2020
- Table 8 Mobile data-only devices in use 2013 2020
- Table 9 Messaging traffic (billion messages) 2012 2020
- Table 10 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Table 11 Development of AT&T Mobility's financial data ($ billion) 2012 2021
- Table 12 AT&T wireless subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 13 Development of Verizon Wireless's financial data ($ billion) 2012 2021
- Table 14 Verizon wireless subscribers (million) 2012 2021
- Table 15 T-Mobile US wireless subscribers (million) 2012 2021
- Table 16 Growth in the number of T-Mobile US's retail mobile subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 17 T-Mobile US ARPU ( / month, annualised) 2012 2021
- Table 18 T-Mobile US ARPU ($ / month, annualised) 2012 2021
- Table 19 T-Mobile US financial data ($ billion) 2012 2021
- Table 20 T-Mobile US financial data ( billion) 2012 2021
- Table 21 Sprint wireless financial data ($ billion) 2012 2019
- Table 22 Sprint subscribers (million) 2012 2020
- Table 23 Sprint blended ARPU ($ / month) 2012 2019
- Table 24 TracFone wireless financial data ($ billion) 2012 2021
- Table 25 TracFone wireless subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 26 TracFone wireless ARPU 2012 2021
- Table 27 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Table 28 Top 10 cable MSOs' subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 29 Cable broadband subscribers by key operators December 2021
- Table 30 US cable broadband subscribers 2012 2020
- Table 31 Change in the number of Altice USA's RGUs by service (million) 2016 2021
- Table 32 Development of Altice USA's financial data ($ million) 2016 2021
- Table 33 Development of Altice USA's revenue by type ($ million) 2016 2021
- Table 34 Development of Comcast's financial data ($ million) 2012 2021
- Table 35 Comcast revenue by service ($ million) 2012 2021
- Table 36 Comcast subscriptions by service (million) 2012 2021
- Table 37 Comcast bundled services subscriptions (million) 2014 2021
- Table 38 Charter Communications financial data ($ million) 2012 2021
- Table 39 Charter Communications residential revenue by type ($ million) 2012 2021
- Table 40 Change in the number of Charter Communications' residential RGUs by type (million) 2012 2021
- Table 41 Broadband subscribers for major telco providers (million) 2012 2021
- Table 42 Verizon wireline (FiOS) operational data (million) 2012 2021
- Table 43 Verizon wireline financial data ($ million) 2014 2019
- Table 44 AT&T fixed-line operational data (million) 2012 2021
- Table 45 AT&T financial data ($ million) 2012 2021
- Table 46 Frontier Communications revenue 2012 2021
- Table 47 Frontier Communications customers by sector (million) 2012 2021
- Table 48 FttP homes passed and connected 2012 2018; 2021
- Table 49 AT&T wireline operational data (million) 2013 2021
- Table 50 CenturyLink financial data ($ million) 2015 2021
- Table 51 CenturyLink subscribers by platform (million) 2015 2021
- Table 52 Cincinnati Bell Fioptics revenue 2012 2021
- Table 53 Cincinnati Bell Fioptics subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 54 Retails sales in the US ($ billion) 2019 2021
- Table 55 Historic - Mobile market revenue, roaming revenue, ARPU 2000 2011
- Table 56 Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration 2002 2011
- Table 57 Historic - AT&T Mobility financial data ($ billion) 2004 2011
- Table 58 Historic - AT&T wireless subscribers 2002 2011
- Table 59 Historic - Verizon wireless subscribers 2005 2011
- Table 60 Historic - T-Mobile US wireless subscribers 2003 2011
- Table 61 Historic - MetroPCS financial data ($ million) 2007 2012
- Table 62 Historic - MetroPCS subscribers 2007 2012
- Table 63 Historic - M2M connections 2009 2018
- Table 64 Historic - Internet users and penetration 2000 2016
- Table 65 Historic - Broadband subscribers and penetration 2000 2011
- Table 66 Historic - Fixed broadband subscribers by data rate (thousand) 2012 2016
- Table 67 Historic - Fixed broadband population coverage by data rate 2012 2016
- Table 68 Historic - Cablevision subscriptions by service (million) 2011 2015
- Table 69 Historic - Cablevision financial data ($ million) 2011 2015
- Table 70 Historic - Active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2008 2011
- Table 71 Historic - Optimum RGUs by service (million) 2015 2018
- Table 72 Historic - Suddenlink RGUs by service (million) 2015 2018
- Table 73 Historic - Suddenlink financial data ($ million) 2016 2018
- Table 74 Historic - Cablevision financial data ($ million) 2011 2019
- Table 75 Historic - FttP homes passed and connected 2001 2011
- Table 76 Historic - LTE mobile broadband coverage broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2016
- Table 77 Historic - Verizon Wireless LTE devices on network 2011 2017
- Table 78 Historic - Development of Comcast's financial data ($ million) 2009 2011
- Table 79 Historic - Comcast revenue by service ($ million) 2009 2011
- Table 80 Historic - Charter Communications revenue 2009 2011
- Table 81 Historic - Charter Communications residential revenue by type ($ million) 2009 2011
- Table 82 Historic - Change in the number of Charter Communications' residential RGUs by type (million) 2009 2011
- Table 83 Historic - Broadband subscribers for major telco providers (million) 2009 2011
- Table 84 Historic - AT&T fixed-line operational data (million) 2009 2011
- Table 85 Historic - Frontier Communications revenue 2008 2011
- Chart 1 Mobile market revenue 2012 2019
- Chart 2 Mobile ARPU 2012 2019
- Chart 3 Growth in the number of mobile cell sites 2012 2020
- Chart 4 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Chart 5 Mobile voice traffic 2012 2020
- Chart 6 Mobile data traffic 2012 2020
- Chart 7 Mobile data-only devices in use 2013 2020
- Chart 8 Messaging traffic 2012 2020
- Chart 9 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Chart 10 Development of AT&T Mobility's financial data 2012 2021
- Chart 11 AT&T wireless subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 12 Development of Verizon Wireless's financial data 2012 2021
- Chart 13 Verizon wireless subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 14 T-Mobile US wireless subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 15 Growth in the number of T-Mobile US's retail mobile subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 16 T-Mobile US ARPU ( / month, annualised) 2012 2021
- Chart 17 T-Mobile US ARPU ($ / month, annualised) 2012 2021
- Chart 18 T-Mobile US financial data ($ billion) 2012 2021
- Chart 19 T-Mobile US financial data ( billion) 2012 2021
- Chart 20 Sprint wireless financial data 2012 2019
- Chart 21 TracFone wireless financial data ($ billion) 2012 2021
- Chart 22 TracFone wireless subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 23 TracFone wireless ARPU 2012 2021
- Chart 24 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Chart 25 US cable broadband subscribers 2012 2020
- Chart 26 Change in the number of Altice USA's RGUs by service 2016 2021
- Chart 27 Development of Altice USA's financial data 2016 2021
- Chart 28 Development of Altice USA's revenue by type 2016 2021
- Chart 29 Development of Comcast's financial data 2012 2021
- Chart 30 Comcast revenue by service 2012 2021
- Chart 31 Comcast subscriptions by service 2012 2021
- Chart 32 Comcast bundled services subscriptions 2014 2021
- Chart 33 Charter Communications financial data 2012 2021
- Chart 34 Charter Communications residential revenue by type 2012 2021
- Chart 35 Change in the number of Charter Communications' residential RGUs by type 2012 2021
- Chart 36 Verizon wireline (FiOS) operational data 2012 2021
- Chart 37 Verizon wireline financial data 2014 2019
- Chart 38 AT&T fixed-line operational data 2012 2021
- Chart 39 AT&T financial data 2012 2021
- Chart 40 Frontier Communications revenue 2012 2021
- Chart 41 Frontier Communications customers by sector (million) 2012 2021
- Chart 42 AT&T wireline operational data 2013 2021
- Chart 43 CenturyLink financial data 2015 2021
- Chart 44 CenturyLink subscribers by platform 2015 2021
- Chart 45 Cincinnati Bell Fioptics revenue 2012 2021
- Chart 46 Cincinnati Bell Fioptics subscribers 2012 2021
- Exhibit 1 3.45GHz spectrum (top bidders) November 2021
- Exhibit 2 C-band auction results (top bidders) March 2021
- Exhibit 3 RDOF Phase 1 auction results December 2020
- Exhibit 4 AWS spectrum auction January 2015
- Exhibit 5 mmWave spectrum auctions May/June 2019
- Exhibit 6 mmWave spectrum auction February 2020