Sydney, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communication’s focus report on Puerto Rico outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets.
Click here to access the report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Puerto-Rico-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses
Puerto Rico’s telecom market has been deeply affected in recent years by a combination of economic mismanagement and natural disasters, including two hurricanes which landed in late 2017 and an earthquake which struck in January 2020. The general destruction following the hurricanes led to a marked decline in the number of subscribers for all services, while straightened economic circumstances forced many people not to resume telecom services after these were restored. After some delay, the FCC in late 2019 issued an order relating to the release of funds to help rebuild telecom infrastructure.
Although Puerto Rico is a US territory it lags well behind the mainland US states in terms of fixed-line and broadband penetration. This is partly due to high unemployment rates (and consequently low disposable income) and poor telecoms investment in a market largely dominated by the incumbent Puerto Rico Telephone Company. The activities of the US-based telcos, including T-Mobile US, Sprint and AT&T continue to impact on the Puerto Rican market. This has recently been seen in these operators securing spectrum in the 600MHz, expanding the reach of LTE services and launching services based on 5G.
The Puerto Rico Telephone Company’s fixed-line market dominance was augmented following its acquisition by the largest wireless company in Latin America, América Móvil. In contrast, the mobile (cellular/wireless) market, with six network operators, has been experiencing more robust competition and growth. Although América Móvil’s Claro briefly took the lead from AT&T Mobility in terms of subscriber numbers, AT&T regained the top position following its acquisition of Centennial Communications. In early 2017 Sprint and Open Wireless agreed to merge their networks in a bid to offer better market competition by increasing their scale and combining spectrum holdings.
The acquisition by Liberty Global of the remaining cable TV operator Choice Cable, completed in mid-2015, created a monopoly player in this sector. Liberty Cablevisión, now wholly-owned by Liberty Global’s LLA division, is in a stronger position to capitalise on scale, and so provide improved services based on greater investment and on the use of technology based on the DOCSIS3.1 standard. Liberty Cablevisión has also become better placed in the bundled service market following LLA’s acquisition of AT&T’s wireless and wireline units in Puerto Rico. The deal is expected to complete by mid-2020.
Key developments:
- FCC issues order to release additional funds to rebuild Puerto Rico’s telecom infrastructure;
- T-Mobile US completes 600MHz LTE network rollout, launches 5G services to majority of the population;
- AT&T sells its mobile and fixed business units in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands to Liberty Latin America for $1.95 billion;
- Government-funded Gigabit Island project aiming to provide access speeds of 1Gb/s to 70% of premises by end-2020;
- Report update includes the regulator’s market data to November 2019, telcos’ operating and financial data to Q3 2019, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.
Companies mentioned in this report:
Puerto Rico Telephone Company, América Móvil, AT&T, Liberty Cablevision; OneLink Communications; T-Mobile; Open Mobile; Sprint PCS; Choice Cable.
Table of Contents
- Key statistics
- Regional Caribbean Market Comparison
- Caribbean Telecom Maturity Index
- TMI versus GDP
- Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
- Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
- Country overview
- Telecommunications market
- Regulatory environment
- Fixed-line developments
- Telecom sector liberalisation
- Privatisation of PRTC
- Mobile network developments
- Mobile market
- Market analysis
- Mobile statistics
- Major mobile operators
- AT&T Mobility
- Claro Puerto Rico
- T-Mobile US
- Sprint PCS
- Open Mobile/Boost Mobile
- Mobile infrastructure
- Fixed-line broadband market
- Market analysis
- Broadband statistics
- Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
- Liberty Cablevisión
- Acquisitions
- Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
- Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
- Other fixed broadband services
- Fixed network operators
- Introduction
- Puerto Rico Telephone Company (PRTC)
- AT&T
- Telecommunications infrastructure
- National telecom networks
- International infrastructure
- Submarine cable networks
- Satellite networks
- Appendix – Historic data
- Related reports
List of Tables
- Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities – Puerto Rico – 2019 (e)
- Table 2 – Development of telecom and cable TV revenue – 2009 – 2018
- Table 3 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2009 – 2024
- Table 4 – Change in the number of postpaid and prepaid subscribers – 2009 – 2019
- Table 5 – Change in the proportion of postpaid vs prepaid subscribers – 2009 – 2019
- Table 6 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2024
- Table 7 – Change in the number of Lifeline phone service connections – 2003 – 2018
- Table 8 – Change in the number of internet subscribers and penetration – 2010 – 2019
- Table 9 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration - 2009 – 2024
- Table 10 – Change in the number of fixed broadband connections by data rate - 2017 – 2019
- Table 11 – Proportion of fixed broadband connections by data rate - 2017 – 2019
- Table 12 – Growth in the number of cable broadband subscribers - 2009 – 2020
- Table 13 – Growth in the number of Liberty Cablevisión’s broadband and telephony subscribers – 2010 – 2019
- Table 14 – Development of Liberty Cablevisión’s financial results – 2013 – 2019
- Table 15 – Change in the number of DSL broadband subscribers - 2009 – 2020
- Table 16 – Change in the number of public payphones in service – 2009 – 2019
- Table 17 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2009 – 2024
- Table 18 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration – 2001 – 2009
- Table 19 – Historic - Postpaid and prepaid subscribers – 2001 – 2009
- Table 20 – Historic - Mobile prepaid vs postpaid market share – 2000 – 2009
- Table 21 – Historic - Internet users and penetration rate – 1997- 2009
- Table 22 – Historic - Fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration - 2001 – 2009
- Table 23 – Historic - Public payphones in service – 2003 – 2009
- Table 24 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2001 – 2009
List of Charts
- Chart 1 – Caribbean Telecoms Maturity Index by country
- Chart 2 – Caribbean Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita
- Chart 3 – Caribbean mobile subscriber penetration versus mobile broadband penetration
- Chart 4 – Caribbean fixed broadband penetration versus mobile broadband penetration
- Chart 5 – Development of telecom and cable TV revenue – 2009 – 2018
- Chart 6 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2009 – 2024
- Chart 7 – Change in the number of postpaid and prepaid subscribers – 2009 – 2019
- Chart 8 – Change in the proportion of postpaid vs prepaid subscribers – 2009 – 2019
- Chart 9 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2024
- Chart 10 – Change in the number of Lifeline phone service connections – 2003 – 2018
- Chart 11 – Change in the number of internet subscribers and penetration – 2010 – 2019
- Chart 12 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration - 2009 – 2024
- Chart 13 – Change in the number of fixed broadband connections by data rate - 2017 – 2019
- Chart 14 – Growth in the number of cable broadband subscribers - 2009 – 2020
- Chart 15 – Growth in the number of Liberty Cablevisión’s broadband and telephony subscribers – 2010 – 2019
- Chart 16 – Development of Liberty Cablevisión’s financial results – 2013 – 2019
- Chart 17 – Change in the number of DSL able broadband subscribers - 2009 – 2020
- Chart 18 – Change in the number of public payphones in service – 2009 – 2019
- Chart 19 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2009 – 2024
List of Exhibits
- Exhibit 1 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
- Exhibit 2 – Caribbean - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Select Country
- Exhibit 3 – Major submarine cable networks serving Puerto Rico
Click here to access the report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Puerto-Rico-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses
Nicolas Bombourg
nbombourg@budde.com.au
Within Australia
(02) 8076 7665
Outside Australia
+44 207 097 1241