According to a research paper put out by Point Topic, a broadband analyst firm covering the European market, 2.8 million broadband connections were born in the U.K. during the first nine months of 2005, bolstering the country to a total of 9.8 million high-speed connections.
France now runs a close second with 9.7 million, with Germany trailing third at about 8.4 million.
Point Topic's “World Broadband Statistics” report predicted broadband growth in the U.K. would continue, fueled largely by competition and investment in the exploding market.
The U.S. still ranked as the top broadband provider in the world, with nearly 41 million broadband connections in service, according to the report. China was second globally with 25 million, with Japan and South Korea running a distant 3rd and 4th.
Point Topic analysts estimate broadband growth throughout the world grew by nearly 25 percent in 2005, reaching 190.3 million total lines worldwide.