DSL-based broadband service providers may have started to catch up with cable companies in pure subscriber count terms, but when it comes to speeds, U.S. DSL companies are lagging behind not only the cable companies, but their peers around the world.

Between the second and third quarters of this year, the average DSL connection speed in the U.S. (and Canada) increased a mere 0.17 percent, according to research firm Point Topic, bringing the average download speed to just 2.971 megabits per second.

In comparison, the speeds in South & East Asia went up 132 percent to 3.582 Mbps, while Asia Pacific saw speeds increase 38.79 percent to 14.989 Mbps. Speeds in Western Europe gained by 6.22 percent to 5.552 Mbps, and in Eastern Europe, speeds are up 6.59 percent to 2.443 Mbps. In Latin America, speeds rose 29.06 percent to 1.652 Mbps, while the Middle East & Africa saw speeds dip 0.71 percent, to 1.404 Mbps. The carriers that gave DSL speeds a nudge include Korea Telecom, NTT, China Telecom, Fast Web, Telecom Argentina, and Telefonica and its affiliates.

Vodafone is adding Spain and Italy to a growing list of countries where it will be offering triple play services. London-based mobile services provider has acquired Spanish and Italian-assets of Tele2 for about $1.1 billion in cash, reports The Wall Street Journal.

It beat out competitors Tiscali and Fastweb in the bid for Tele2 assets. It already offers broadband service in UK, Portugal, Germany and Greece. Triple-play is part of CEO Arun Sarin’s Mobile Plus strategy that is necessary for the company to boost its revenues.

“What is clear to us is that mobility and broadband are the two core things that our company needs to participate in, ” Sarin said at a recent investor conference. (PDF Transcript.) “DSL is a local, country-by-country strategy. There is no one strategy for Europe, simply because the industry structure is very different, the regulatory structures are very different.”

The company is also looking at WiFi and Mesh WiFi as options as well, depending on locations, but one thing is clear – if Sarin continues on the current path of acquisitions, then Vodafone might emerge as a pan-European broadband supplier.

Best Buy (BBY), the large North American electronics retail chain, that recently snapped up Speakeasy, a DSL provider, is now interested in gobbling up Covad (DVW), a large wholesale broadband provider, according to Broadband Reports.

The discussions have a on-again-off-again nature, Broadband Reports says, and points out that the deal might be for Covad’s VoIP business. Covad which trades on American Stock Exchange for about 65 cents a share is valued at $194 million compared with $97 million Best Buy paid for Speakeasy. I have contacted Covad and am waiting to hear what they have to say.

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