SINGAPORE - MORE people worldwide are subscribing to high-speed Internet connections, despite the economic downturn, with China and other Asian countries among the growth leaders, a study showed on Tuesday.

A report released at the CommunicAsia 2009 trade fair in Singapore showed that the number of broadband lines grew by 16.6 million globally in the last quarter alone to more than 429 million.

It said broadband penetration in 20 countries grew by 10 per cent or more in the first quarter from the previous three months, with the biggest rise of 13.4 per cent coming from India.

Broadband lines in China rose 5.66 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 88.09 million, surpassing the United States, which had 71.03 million lines, said the report prepared for industry group Broadband Forum by analysts Point Topic.

Australia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the Philippines also had growth rates above the global average of 4.0 per cent, according to the report.

'It's now getting to a point where broadband is seen much more as a necessity rather than a luxury,' said Robin Mersh, chief operating officer of the Broadband Forum.

The Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), which uses ordinary copper telephone lines, remains the most popular broadband access technology, with a 64.62 per cent market share, the report said.

Wireless broadband grew over one million lines for a 1.30 per cent market share, according to the report. -- AFP