The Q3 2010 figures show a rise of 2.88% since the previous quarter’s global subscriber figures of 494.5 million. This is in line with steady quarterly net addition rates since the service hit its peak in Q1 2008 and Q1 2009, with 18.66 million and 19.67 million new subscribers between quarters, respectively.
China had 124 million broadband subscribers in Q3 2010 and is still the market leader since it displaced the US in Q2 2008. Between Q2 2010 and Q3 2010 China’s net additions grew by 5.14%, almost tripling the amount of net additions in the US (1.45%). China and the US combined have 41% of broadband subscribers worldwide, and were the only countries to add over one million broadband subscribers over this period.