DSL numbers surge

ATLANTA--DSL penetration rates jumped significantly in the first quarter of 2003 with the biggest increase being seen in the Asian market, according to numbers released by the DSL Forum at Supercomm this week.

DSL has become so popular in Japan that the country now has as many subscribers as the U.S., according to Tom Starr, president and chairperson of the DSL Forum and a member of the technical staff at SBC.

According to the Forum, at the end of the first quarter there were 41.3 million DSL lines deployed worldwide.

In the U.S., however, cable still holds a two-to-one advantage over DSL, although that may change with recent price cuts, said Starr. The full result of those cuts won’t be seen for a couple of quarters, however.

“The pricing is going to be very interesting because I think we’re possibly reaching a turning point on that issue,” he said. In a related announcement, the DSL Forum has created a home networking group that will provide technical specifications for equipment that can be used in a variety of applications inside the residence.