|
|
 |
|
Viewing report
|
|
|
|
South Africa Telecommunications Report Q4 2010
Business Monitor International, Aug 2010, Pages: 106
The South Africa Telecommunications Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, telecommunication associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on South Africa's telecommunications industry.
BMI’s latest update on South Africa’s telecommunications market contains revised forecast figures for the country’s fixed-line telephony and broadband subscriber markets. Our new fixed-line forecast revisions are based on Q409 and Q110 data published by South Africa’s incumbent telecoms operator Telkom SA. Meanwhile, our broadband forecast has been updated to include mobile broadband subscribers. These are customers who use devices such as USB sticks, smartphones and netbooks with built-in broadband modems to connect to the internet via a 3G/HSPA mobile broadband network.
Our newly revised fixed-line forecast for South Africa envisages a total decline of 3% in 2010. The accelerated loss of fixed lines compared with our previous forecast is based on new data suggesting that Telkom is losing fixed-line customers at a faster pace. In its results for the financial year ending March 31 2010, the South African incumbent reported a decline in demand for prepaid PSTN lines; in previous months, this had been an important growth area for the operator.
Meanwhile, our new broadband subscriber forecast envisages South Africa with around 1.12mn broadband subscribers at the end of 2009; this is equivalent to a penetration rate of 4.3%. During 2009, the South African broadband subscriber base expanded by over 185%. Much of this growth was based on the rapid increase in the number of mobile broadband customers. By the end of the year, mobile broadband customers accounted for 70% of the total market. Our new broadband forecast for South Africa anticipates nearly 50% growth in 2010; this will enable the penetration rate to reach 6.4% by the end of the year.
Although we made some minor changes to our 3G subscriber forecast for South Africa, our forecast for the mobile market on the whole remains unchanged this quarter. The last set of operational figures from the country’s two largest mobile operators, Vodacom and MTN, relates to the end of March 2010. By the time of our next update, new data should be available for the first half of 2010. In the meantime, we maintain our belief that the sector will see only limited growth of 1.7% in 2010. This trend will partly be a reflection of moves by the operators to deduct inactive prepaid customers from their reported totals. Recent developments of note within the mobile market include the news that South Africa’s smallest mobile operator Cell C is preparing to sell its 50% stake in Virgin Mobile South Africa, the country’s only MVNO. According to media reports in July, the deal was ‘all but done’. Virgin South Africa began life in 2006, as an equal joint venture between Cell C and Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. It is understood that Virgin Mobile will continue to use Cell C’s network even if a sale goes ahead, and hopes to utilise the 3G/HSPA network which Cell C is currently rolling out.
Product samples
A sample for this product is available. Please Login/Register to download this sample.
Customers who bought this item also bought
South Africa Telecommunications Report Q1 2011
South Africa Telecommunications Report Q3 2011
South Africa Telecommunications Report Q3 2010
Africa Telecom Market Report, 2010-2011
Africa Telecom Market Report, 2010-2011
South Africa Telecommunications Report Q4 2011
Africa Telecom Market Report, 2008-2009
Nigeria Telecommunications Report Q2 2011
Kenya Telecommunications Report Q1 2012
Southern Africa Telecom Industry Report, 2008
|
|
|
|
