LONDON -- News that broadband DSL is now in use by 25.58 million households and small businesses around the world was revealed in London today [Tuesday 27 August 2002] at the DSL Forum Summit meeting. "Strong global growth of 36% in the last six months - an extra 6.8 million subscribers - is evidence of the demand for real added value delivered by broadband DSL," says William Rodey, chairman of DSL Forum. Asia Pacific continues to lead the market with a 42% share of the world's broadband DSL subscribers. Rodey says "It is exciting to see that South Korea has already reached mass market status with DSL operating on 26.14% of all phone lines. The rest of the world is fast moving in the same direction towards our global mass market target of 200 million DSL broadband subscribers by 2005." North America retains second spot on the global league table with 26% of the world's DSL subscribers and Western Europe is third at 25%. "If Western Europe's growth rate of over 50% continues - now with than 6 million subscribers - the region will soon outstrip North America in the global league table of DSL subscriber numbers," says Rodey. "Already 2.97% of Western Europe's telephone lines are providing DSL services compared to North America's 3.08% line penetration," he added. North American growth in the six months to 30 June 2002 was 19.2%. "In the face of today's economic pressures, adding close to one million DSL subscribers in six months in the USA alone is a real vote of confidence in broadband DSL and the benefits it delivers, by both residential and small business customers." Working Group meetings of DSL Forum members continue in London until Thursday, 29 August 2002. DSL Market Penetration to 30 June 2002: Top 20 Countries DSL market penetration is based on the percentage of total telephone lines in each country that are delivering services over broadband DSL. DSL Forum Point Topic Ltd.