Portugal closing in on national fibre coverage

Sydney, May 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communication’s focus report on Portugal outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets.
Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Portugal-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses

Publication Overview

This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Portugal’s telecommunications market. The report analyses the fixed-line, mobile and broadband sectors. Subjects include:

• Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
• Facts, figures and statistics;
• Industry and regulatory issues;
• Infrastructure developments;
• Major Players, Revenues, Subscribers, ARPU, MoU;
• Mobile Voice and Data Markets;
• Broadband (FttP, DSL, cable, wireless);
• Mobile subscribers and ARPU;
• Broadband market forecasts;
• Government policies affecting the telecoms industry;
• Market liberalisation and industry issues;
• Telecoms operators – privatisation, IPOs, acquisitions, new licences;
• Mobile technologies (GSM; 3G, HSPA, LTE, 5G).

Researcher:- Henry Lancaster
Current publication date:- July 2019 (18th Edition)

Executive Summary

Portugal closing in on national fibre coverage

Portugal has a medium-sized telecom market with a strong mobile sector and a growing broadband customer base focussed on the delivery of fibre-based services. During the last few years the country has seen improving economic growth, following several years of austerity measures. Revenue among some operators remains under some strain, though investments in network upgrades are continuing in an effort to attract customers to high-end services.

Portugal’s broadband penetration has grown steadily in recent years, largely the result of joint efforts between the regulator and the key market operators which have invested in significant infrastructure upgrades. These operators are also focussed on fibre-based services, resulting in a migration of subscribers from DSL infrastructure. Under the ownership of the Altice Group, Altice Portugal is focussed on FttP, aiming to cover 5.3 million premises by 2020, and providing national coverage.

The cable sector has also shifted towards fibre, with the principal cableco NOS investing in fibre rather than DOCSIS upgrades. In addition, Vodafone Portugal provides fibre to about two-thirds of premises. Much of the growth in the fibre segment has resulted from shared infrastructure deals, including that between Vodafone and NOS. the government has also supported two open-access wholesale networks being built by dstelecom and Fibroglobal.

The mobile market is dominated by the incumbent Altice Portugal though it remains under pressure from the other network operators Vodafone Portugal and NOS. The MVNO market remains largely undeveloped, partly because network operators have their own low-cost brands. Collectively, MVNOs have about 2.1% share of the market.

Population coverage by 3G infrastructure is universal and so most investment has been directed to LTE and to incremental upgrades to network infrastructure. Operators have trialled 5G technologies, with a view to launching commercial services in late 2020.

This report introduces the major elements of the Portuguese telecom market, presenting statistics on the fixed telephony sector as well as an analysis of the major market players. Additional information is provided on the key regulatory issues, noting the status of interconnection, local loop unbundling, number portability and carrier preselection. The report also covers the fixed and fixed-wireless broadband markets, providing subscriber forecasts to 2023. In addition, the report profiles the mobile market, including statistics on network operators, a review of the key regulatory issues, a snapshot of the consumer market, and an analysis of mobile data services and technologies.

BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries.

On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth.

Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report.

The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions.

Key developments:

• Altice Portugal ramps up fibre roll out, aiming for 5.3 million connected premises by 2020;
• Vodafone developing on fibre-network sharing agreement with NOS, retails 1Gb/s devices for customers;
• Fibre subscriber base grows 24% in 2018;
• Regulator sets schedule for release of 700MHz spectrum for 5G use;
• Vodafone achieves 1Gb/s downlink speeds in LTE-A trials;
• Decline in SMS traffic in wake of messaging alternatives;
• Altice Portugal to replace copper network with FttP by 2020, reports continuing revenue growth in Q1 2019;
• Regulator imposes wholesale tariff cuts for fibre access
• Report update includes the regulator’s market data to Q4 2018, telcos’ operating and financial data to Q1 2019, assessment of the global impact of COVID-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Altice Portugal (MEO), NOS (Optimus, Zon Multimedia), Vodafone Portugal, CTT, Lycamobile, Sonaecom, Cabovisão.

• Key statistics
• Country overview
• COVID-19 and its impact on the telecom sector
  • Economic considerations and responses
  • Mobile devices
  • Subscribers
  • Infrastructure
• Telecommunications market
  • Overview
• Regulatory environment
  • Historic overview
  • Regulatory authority
  • Privatisation
  • Interconnect
  • Access
  • Fibre access
  • Carrier PreSelection (CPS)
  • Number Portability (NP)
  • Wholesale Line Rental (WLR)
• Fixed network operators
  • Introduction
  • Altice Portugal
  • Oni Communications
  • Sonaecom
    • Novis
  • AR Telecom
    • Jazztel (historic)
  • NOS
• Telecommunications infrastructure
  • National telecom network
    • Next Generation Networks (NGNs)
  • International infrastructure
    • 2Africa submarine cable
  • Data centres
• Broadband market
  • Introduction and statistical overview
    • Market analysis
    • Broadband statistics
  • Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
    • NOS
    • Nowo (Cabovisão)
  • Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
    • PT Portugal (MEO)
    • Sonaecom
  • Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP)
  • Other fixed broadband services
    • Broadband over Powerline (BPL)
    • Wireless broadband
• Mobile communications
  • Market analysis
  • Mobile statistics
    • General statistics
  • Mobile infrastructure
    • 5G
    • 4G (LTE)
    • 3G
  • Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
  • Internet-of-Things (IoT)
  • Mobile voice
  • Mobile data
    • Short Message Service (SMS)
    • Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
  • Mobile broadband
  • Regulatory issues
    • Spectrum regulations and spectrum auctions
    • Roaming
    • Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
    • Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs)
    • Network sharing
  • Major mobile operators
    • MEO
    • Vodafone Portugal
    • NOS (Zon Optimus)
    • Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)
  • Mobile content and applications
    • M-payments
• Appendix – Historic data
• Glossary of abbreviations
• Related reports

List of Tables

• Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Portugal – 2018
• Table 2 – Cumulative ported fixed-line numbers – 2009 – 2018
• Table 3 – Fixed-telephony service revenue – 2015 – 2018
• Table 4 – Total fixed-telephony service revenue – 2012 – 2018
• Table 5 – Sonaecom financial data – 2006 – 2017
• Table 6 – Sonaecom financial data (old format) – 2006 – 2012
• Table 7 – Sonaecom fixed-line subscribers by sector (historic) – 2008 – 2012
• Table 8 – Fixed line telephony subscribers – 2011 – 2018
• Table 9 – International internet bandwidth – 2006 – 2016
• Table 10 – Multiband auction results – 2012
• Table 11 – MTRs – 2009 – 2012; 2016 – 2018
• Table 12 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1999 – 2009
• Table 13 – Historic - Internet users and penetration – 2000 – 2009
• Table 14 – Fixed broadband subscribers by type – 2000 – 2008
• Table 15 – Fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2000 – 2008
• Table 16 – Share of broadband accesses by operator (old format) – 2010 – 2014
• Table 17 – Historic - Broadband subscriber annual change year-on-year – 2002 – 2009
• Table 18 – Fixed-line and mobile broadband traffic per month per customer – 2008 – 2017
• Table 19 – Proportion of broadband subscribers by data rate (Mb/s) – 2011 – 2016
• Table 20 – Mobile subscribers and penetration – 2000 – 2009
• Table 21 – Accumulated mobile number portings – 2002 – 2008
• Table 22 – Outgoing mobile calls and traffic volume – 2002 – 2009
• Table 23 – Mobile broadband revenue – 2007 – 2015

List of Charts

• Chart 1 – Change in pre-selection, call-by-call and VoIP connections – 2009 – 2018
• Chart 2 – Increase in fixed direct telephone customers and penetration – 2009 – 2018
• Chart 3 – Decline in Altice Portugal’s share of direct access customers – 2005 – 2018
• Chart 4 – Change in multiplay services revenue – 2015 – 2018
• Chart 5 – Decline in fixed-telephony traffic – 2012 – 2018
• Chart 6 – Evolution in the share of fixed-line access installations by operator – 2012 – 2018
• Chart 7 – Change in Altice Portugal’s fixed accesses by sector – 2017 – 2019
• Chart 8 – Development of Altice Portugal’s financials – 2014 – 2019
• Chart 9 – Altice Portugal’s revenue by service – 2017 – 2019
• Chart 10 – Sonaecom financial data – 2006 – 2017
• Chart 11 – Evolution of NOS financial data – 2012 – 2019
• Chart 12 – Change in NOS subscriber base by platform – 2012 – 2019
• Chart 13 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2005 – 2020
• Chart 14 – Change in the number and type of analogue and digital access lines – 2005 – 2018
• Chart 15 – Development of VoIP and mobile voice accesses – 2013 – 2018
• Chart 16 – Fixed-line multiplay revenue – 2015 – 2018
• Chart 17 – Development of fixed broadband subscriber growth and penetration – 2009 – 2023
• Chart 18 – Evolution in broadband subscribers by access type – 2009 – 2018
• Chart 19 – Proportion of broadband subscribers by access type – 2007 – 2018
• Chart 20 – Broadband subscriber annual change year-on-year – 2009 – 2018
• Chart 21 – Evolution of fixed broadband penetration by platform – 2007 – 2018
• Chart 22 – Share of broadband accesses by operator (new format) – 2011 – 2018
• Chart 23 – Evolution of fixed-line and mobile broadband traffic – 2008 – 2018
• Chart 24 – Cable DOCSIS3.0 connected premises – 2010 – 2017
• Chart 25 – Growth in NOS cable broadband subscribers – 2004 – 2019
• Chart 26 – Change in MEO broadband subscribers by platform – 2016 – 2019
• Chart 27 – Growth in FttP/B connected premises – 2010 – 2017
• Chart 28 – Growth in the number of FttX subscribers – 2008 – 2018
• Chart 29 – Vodafone fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2019
• Chart 30 – Evolution of mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2010 - 2023
• Chart 31 – Development of mobile sector revenue – 2015 – 2018
• Chart 32 – Steady market share among mobile operators – 2004 – 2018
• Chart 33 – Change in outgoing mobile calls and traffic volume – 2009 – 2018
• Chart 34 – Change in mobile prepaid subscribers, proportion prepaid – 20010 – 2018
• Chart 35 – Decline in mobile ARPU – 2010 – 2019
• Chart 36 – Long-term drop in 3G video calls and traffic – 2007 – 2017
• Chart 37 – Strong growth in M2M subscriptions – 2012 – 2018
• Chart 38 – M2M sessions and traffic – 2013 – 2017
• Chart 39 – Continuing strong growth in mobile internet traffic – 2007 – 2018
• Chart 40 – Decline in SMS messages sent annually – 2009 – 2018
• Chart 41 – Decline in SMS messages per subscriber sent quarterly (Q4) – 2007 – 2018
• Chart 42 – Decline in MMS messages per subscriber – 2007 – 2017
• Chart 43 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2009 – 2023
• Chart 44 – Roaming in call traffic volume and messages – 2009 – 2018
• Chart 45 – Evolution of MEO’s mobile subscriber base – 2006 – 2019
• Chart 46 – Change in MEO’s mobile revenue – 2010 – 2019
• Chart 47 – Change in MEO’s revenue by quarter – 2016 – 2019
• Chart 48 – Change in Vodafone Portugal subscribers, proportion prepaid – 2006 – 2019
• Chart 49 – Vodafone monthly ARPU: prepaid, contract and blended – 2009 – 2019
• Chart 50 – Change in Vodafone financial data (year to Mar) – 2007 – 2019
• Chart 51 – Evolution in NOS’s mobile subscriber base – 2009 – 2019

List of Exhibits

• Exhibit 1 – 2Africa submarine cable
• Exhibit 2 – 2Africa landing stations

Nicolas Bombourg
nbombourg@budde.com.au

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(02) 8076 7665

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