DSLin for Big Growth

The total number of digital subscriber lines (DSL) installed in the US will grow dramatically in the next five years, according to Computer Economics.

By 2004, Computer Economics expects the number of lines installed in the US to exceed 10 million. The greatest growth will occur from 2002 to 2003, with 2.8 million lines being installed in that time period.

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“We estimate that the number of DSL’s will increase steadily throughout the US,” said Computer Economics’ Michael Erbschloe. “Expect the rate of growth to be greater with each year, until 2003 to 2004, when there will be a slightly slower rate of growth.”

Currently, cable modems are the high-speed access method of choice in the US, but an earlier study by The Strategis Group also predicted a strong future for DSL.

The Stratgeis Group’s “High-Speed Internet: Demand, Technology, and Strategy” predicted that the cable modem market share will fall to 68 percent of the residential market by 2003. The reason for the fall, according to the report, will be the emergence of DSL as a price-competitive market by the year 2002. According to Stratgeis, DSL is already a viable option for the business data market, but the development of “G-Lite” (splitterless DSL) will push the technology into the residential market.