According to the latest research by Cable Digital News, U.S. phone companies signed up at least 100,000 more high-speed Internet subscribers than cable companies during the fourth quarter of 2006.

CDN says that for the ninth time in the last 11 quarters, the phone companies topped cable companies as together the industries added more than 2.5 million subscribers for high-speed Internet service. The nation's largest phone companies added more than 1.3 million broadband subscribers during the quarter, compared to fewer than 1.1 million customers for the biggest multi-system operators and more than 1.2 million subscribers for all cable operators.

As the total number of U.S. high-speed customers hit 53 million at the end of December, the two rival industries finished the year with cable companies reporting more than 29.4 million subscribers, more than 55 percent of the market, and phone companies accounting for about 24 million subscribers, around 45 percent of the market.

Comcast reported the largest growth with a pickup of 488,000 cable Internet customers. Although down from its gain in the third quarter, the total is still one of Comcast's highest increases ever. Time Warner Cable followed next with 246,000 new subscribers.

The top two phone companies were Verizon and AT&T, with 409,000 and 383,000 new broadband subscribers respectively.

For more, check out the full Cable Digital News article.