In the second quarter, the landline phone industry lost broadband subscribers for the first time, as cable companies continued to pile on new household and small-business customers thanks to the higher speeds they offer in most areas.
The flow of subscribers from phone companies to cable providers could lead to a de facto monopoly on broadband in many areas of the U.S., say industry watchers. Cable companies find it cheaper to provide fast Internet service compared with the digital subscriber lines, or DSL, that phone companies provide in most areas.
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