The global number of home and business broadband subscriptions reached almost 509 million in the third quarter of 2010.

Figures prepared by Point Topic and published by the Broadband Forum revealed the number of lines increased by 6.7 per cent year-on-year over the three-month period, representing growth of 14.3 million connections.

It also marked a 2.88 per cent rise on the number of subscriptions seen in the second quarter.

The surge in China and India was said to be "exceptional", while Russia, Ukraine, the Philippines and Vietnam have seen greater than 20 per cent increases in the past year.

Chief executive of the Broadband Forum Robin Mersh commented: "The patterns of growth are shifting as some markets reach saturation and emerging markets show remarkable growth rates over this year."

A third quarter rise in high-speed internet connections was predicted in November 2010 by market research firm iSuppli, which forecast an upturn of 5.8 per cent over the three months.

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