2009 was a difficult year for the worldwide telecoms market. In mature markets, the economic slowdown helped to dampen revenue growth and drove operators to reduce capex in order to focus on operational efficiency. Growth markets continued to fare better, but even here the revenue growth was well below the rates seen in previous years.
Profitability is a key challenge for operators of all types. Mobile services are still the main driver of operator revenue – particularly in growth markets. Subscriber numbers are still increasing in fixed broadband markets, but service providers are facing a challenging pricing environment – partly because of competition from mobile broadband services. The fixed voice segment continues its rapid decline.
Increased competition from new entrants is reducing pricing power in some markets, while growth in subscriber numbers is essentially flat in others. In either case, customer retention is critical. Operators in mature markets need to find ways to extract more value from mobile data traffic in order to fund the necessary investments in mobile infrastructure. Operators in growth markets need to a plan for a shift from subscriber acquisition to revenue generation by segmenting their customer base and offering tailored packages that will increase loyalty and usage.
This report provides worldwide financial and operational data for almost 140 operators, split into eight geographical regions. It also includes insight into the key drivers in the mobile and fixed markets in each region, as well as comments on changes in the competitive landscape. Lastly, it provides recommendations for operators in mature and growth markets.
Worldwide telecoms market share report 2009 answers your key questions:
- Which regions recorded the highest levels of revenue growth in 2009?
- Which operators are the most profitable?
- How have operators' market shares changed from 2008 to 2009?
- Which services are driving revenue growth in each of the regions?
- How much growth in mobile subscriber numbers was there in 2009?
- How do growth markets differ from mature markets?