NEW YORK (AP) - Phone companies are starting to fall behind in the high-speed Internet game. The landline phone industry has lost broadband subscribers for the first time during the second quarter of this year.

The reason: cable companies are snaring more new household and small business customers. The cable companies have the advantage of speed: they are higher than in most areas.

Phone lines, designed to carry conversations are poorly suited to carry Internet signals compared to the heavily shielded cables that carry TV signals. That means cable companies find it much easier and cheaper to provide fast Internet service compared to the DSL phone companies provide in most areas.