Macedonia's Mobile Market Dominated by Two MNOs
North Macedonian MNOs expanding their 5G presence
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was renamed as the Republic of North Macedonia in February 2019. The country has been a European Union (EU) candidate since 2005 with accession discussions facing delays over the years. As part of the EU pre-accession process, North Macedonia has built closer economic ties with the Union which accounts for 77.5% of Macedonia's exports and just over half of its imports. Closer regulatory and administrative ties with European Commission (EC) institutions have done much to develop the telecom sector and prepare the market for the competitive environment encouraged in the EU.
As part of EU integration legislation North Macedonia has implemented the principles of the EU's regulatory framework for communications, established an independent regulator and set out several provisions to provide for a competitive telecom market, including wholesale access to the incumbent's fixed-line network. Although the fixed telephony market has been liberalised, the incumbent MakTel continues to dominate the sector. However, broadband services are widely available, with effective competition between DSL and cable platforms complemented by wireless broadband and a developing fibre sector. The number of DSL subscribers has continued to fall in recent years as customers are migrated to fibre networks.
Macedonia's mobile market is served by only two MNOs, MakTel and A1 Macedonia (known as One.Vip before a rebranding exercise in September 2019). The latter was formed from the merger of the local business units of Telekom Slovenije and Telekom Austria. A1 Macedonia in May 2016 was also merged with its sister company Blizoo, and so has been able to provide a full suite of converged services. Mtel, a subsidiary of Telekom Srbija, has also committed to launch mobile services by the end of 2022, a move which will break the duopoly. The MNOs are increasingly focused on expanding their 5G networks, seeking stronger coverage across North Macedonia's high value urban areas. Mobile data services are also becoming increasingly important following investments in LTE network rollouts and in upgrades to LTE-A technology.
The outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 had an immediate impact on telecoms services growth. However, the sector has returned to growth buoyed by an improving economic outlook for the country and rising consumer and enterprise demand for advanced communications services. The crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, has helped to offset pressures on market development.
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, and the development of a national ICT strategy among other solutions.
Key developments:
- Telekom Srbija subsidiary Mtel to launch mobile services by the end of 2022
- North Macedonia signs MoU on 5G technologies with the US; regulator to award 5G spectrum to all applicants in spectrum auction
- Telekabel purchases cable network KDS DOO from Probistip
- Government plans to abolish IT sector personal income tax by 2023; publishes national ICT strategy 2021-2025 for public comment
- MakTel expands G network reach
- Government imposes e-bills due to coronavirus outbreak
- Report update includes the regulator's market data updates to end-2021, telcos' operating and financial data to Q1 2022, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.
Companies mentioned in this report:
Makedonski Telekom, A1 Macedonia (VIP Operator, One.Vip), Mtel, Blizoo (formerly CableTel), Telekom Slovenije.
Table of Contents
Key statistics- Regional Europe Market Comparison
- Market characteristics
- Market Leaders
- Market Challengers
- Market Emergents
- TMI versus GDP
- Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
- Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration
Country overview
- Telecommunications market
- Market analysis
Regulatory environment
- Regulatory authority
- Fixed-line developments
- Mobile network developments
Mobile market
- Market analysis
- Mobile statistics
- Mobile infrastructure
- M2M networks
- Mobile data
- Mobile broadband
- Major mobile operators
- Mobile content and applications
Fixed-line broadband market
- Market analysis
- Broadband statistics
- Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
- Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
- Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
- Other fixed-line broadband services
Digital economy
- Fixed network operators
- Makedonski Telekom
- A1 Macedonia
Telecommunications infrastructure
- International infrastructure
Appendix Historic data
- Glossary of abbreviations
- Related reports
List of Tables
- Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities North Macedonia 2022 (e)
- Table 2 Change in telecom revenue, by type (MKD million) 2012 2020
- Table 3 Annual fixed-lines ported 2012 2021
- Table 4 Annual mobile-lines ported 2012 2021
- Table 5 Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Table 6 Mobile network operator market share by subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 7 Change in mobile voice traffic 2012 2021
- Table 8 Ratio of prepaid and contract subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 9 Growth in the number of M2M connections 2016 2021
- Table 10 Change in the number of SMS messages sent 2012 2021
- Table 11 Change in the number of MMS messages sent 2012 2021
- Table 12 Change in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Table 13 Change in the number of MakTel's mobile subscribers 2012 2022
- Table 14 Change in the number of MakTel's prepaid subscribers 2012 2022
- Table 15 Growth in MakTel's mobile voice traffic 2012 2022
- Table 16 Change in MakTel's mobile ARPU 2012 2022
- Table 17 MakTel mobile revenue (HUF million) 2012 2022
- Table 18 Change in the number of A1 Macedonia's mobile subscribers 2012 2022
- Table 19 Change in A1 Macedonia's annualized mobile ARPU 2012 2021
- Table 20 Change in A1 Macedonia's mobile revenue 2018 2022
- Table 21 Internet users and penetration rates 2012 2020
- Table 22 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Table 23 Change in market share of fixed internet subscribers by major operator 2013 2021
- Table 24 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscriptions by platform 2012 2021
- Table 25 Fixed broadband market share of subscribers by platform 2012 2021
- Table 26 Internet subscribers by access type: dial-up, mobile, other 2012 2021
- Table 27 Fixed-line broadband connections by access speed 2013 2021
- Table 28 Makedonski Telekom's retail and wholesale DSL subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 29 Change in fixed-line market share by key operators 2012 2021
- Table 30 Development of Makedonski Telekom's revenue (HUF million) 2012 2022
- Table 31 Change in the number of Makedonski Telekom's fixed-voice subscribers 2012 2022
- Table 32 A1 Macedonia fixed-line, broadband and pay TV RGUs 2015 2022
- Table 33 Development of A1 Macedonia's financial data ( million) 2012 2022
- Table 34 Change in number of telephony-lines by type 2012 2021
- Table 35 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
- Table 36 Wholesale leased lines in service, by type 2012 2021
- Table 37 International internet bandwidth 2012 2020
- Table 38 Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate 2000 2011
- Table 39 Historic - Internet users and penetration rates 1999 2011
- Table 40 Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity 1995 2011
List of Charts
- Chart 1 Europe Telecoms Maturity Index Market Leaders
- Chart 2 Europe Telecoms Maturity Index Market Challengers
- Chart 3 Europe Telecoms Maturity Index Market Emergents
- Chart 4 Europe - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
- Chart 5 Europe Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
- Chart 6 Scandinavia/Baltics fixed and mobile broadband penetration
- Chart 7 Northern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
- Chart 8 Eastern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
- Chart 9 Southern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
- Chart 10 Change in telecom revenue, by type 2012 2020
- Chart 11 Annual fixed-lines ported 2012 2021
- Chart 12 Annual mobile-lines ported 2012 2021
- Chart 13 Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Chart 14 Mobile network operator market share by subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 15 Change in mobile voice traffic 2012 2021
- Chart 16 Ratio of prepaid and contract subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 17 Growth in the number of M2M connections 2016 2021
- Chart 18 Change in the number of SMS messages sent 2012 2021
- Chart 19 Change in the number of MMS messages sent 2012 2021
- Chart 20 Change in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Chart 21 Change in the number of MakTel's mobile subscribers 2012 2022
- Chart 22 Change in the number of MakTel's prepaid subscribers 2012 2022
- Chart 23 Growth in MakTel's mobile voice traffic 2012 2022
- Chart 24 Change in MakTel's mobile ARPU 2012 2022
- Chart 25 MakTel mobile revenue 2012 2022
- Chart 26 Change in the number of A1 Macedonia's mobile subscribers 2012 2022
- Chart 27 Change in A1 Macedonia's annualized mobile ARPU 2012 2021
- Chart 28 Change in A1 Macedonia's mobile revenue 2018 2022
- Chart 29 Internet users and penetration rates 2012 2020
- Chart 30 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Chart 31 Change in market share of fixed internet subscribers by major operator 2013 2021
- Chart 32 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscriptions by platform 2012 2021
- Chart 33 Fixed broadband market share of subscribers by platform 2012 2021
- Chart 34 Internet subscribers by access type: dial-up, mobile, other 2012 2021
- Chart 35 Fixed-line broadband connections by access speed 2013 2021
- Chart 36 Makedonski Telekom's retail and wholesale DSL subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 37 Change in fixed-line market share by key operators 2012 2021
- Chart 38 Development of Makedonski Telekom's revenue 2012 2022
- Chart 39 Change in the number of Makedonski Telekom's fixed-voice subscribers 2012 2022
- Chart 40 A1 Macedonia fixed-line, broadband and pay TV RGUs 2015 2022
- Chart 41 Development of A1 Macedonia's financial data 2012 2022
- Chart 42 Change in number of telephony-lines by type 2012 2021
- Chart 43 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
- Chart 44 International internet bandwidth 2012 2020
List of Exhibits
- Exhibit 1 Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Europe
- Exhibit 2 Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
- Exhibit 3 Europe Market Leaders and market developments
- Exhibit 4 Europe Market Challengers and market developments
- Exhibit 5 Europe Market Emergents and market developments
- Exhibit 6 Frequency bands and allocations
- Exhibit 7 Mobile data roaming cost schedule 2020 - 2026 Frequency bands and allocations
Companies Mentioned
- Makedonski Telekom
- A1 Macedonia (VIP Operator
- One.Vip)
- Mtel
- Blizoo (formerly CableTel)
- Telekom Slovenije.
