2008 Australia - Fixed & Mobile Telecoms Statistics (tables only)

Publication Overview

For those needing detailed subscribers, revenues, forecasting and analysis on the Australian telecommunications market, this report provides essential reading and gives in-depth information on:

·         Analysis of the wholesale market.

·         Market segmentation by major provider.

·         Mobile and broadband subscribers and forecasts.

·         Mobile Data Forecasts and mobile media.

·         Overview of the business and residential markets.

·         Revenue forecast and analysis to 2018.

·         Revenue statistics & forecasting of the 2nd tier market to 2009.

·         Revenue statistics & forecasting to 2010 by voice, mobile and broadband sectors.

·         Revenue, annual growth and market share statistics.

·         Statistics and analysis on the VoIP market.

·         Wireless broadband statistics and forecasts.

Researchers:- Phil Harpur, Paul Budde

Current publication date:- October 2008 (3^rd Edition)

Next publication date:- October 2009

Executive Summary

This report provides 201 statistical tables relating to the overall fixed-line and mobile telecoms industries in Australia, including company operating and financial statistics. It does not include commentary or analysis, these being found in other BuddeComm reports. 

Overall telecoms market

BuddeComm estimates that the overall telecoms market grew by 6.0% to $38 billion in the 12 months to June 2008, but this growth rate in real terms is only around 4.7% if an inconsistency in Telstra’s financial reporting is eliminated. Telstra still dominates the overall Australian telecom market with a massive 66% market share of overall revenues in 2007/08. Optus’ market share of overall telco service revenues has been fairly stagnant over the past few years at just over 20%, and we predict a similar trend moving into 2009 and 2010. For the year to June 2008, the total mobile services market was $14.4 billion, with a growth rate of 9.6%. 

Infrastructure

Globally the focus of telecommunications infrastructure has shifted towards FttH. In Australia, the absence of decision-making and the ongoing delays in the broadband market are impeding the government’ desire to roll out next generation (NGN) telecoms infrastructure before the end of 2009. Without genuine participation from Telstra in the execution of the National Broadband Plan, any government investment would be wasted as Telstra refuses to participate in the process. Instead it has opted for a highly focused and successful campaign to delay any new form of competition. 

Nevertheless, telecoms networks are undergoing extraordinary changes with investments in All-IP NGNs and fibre networks in order to meet burgeoning consumer demand for high-bandwidth applications. Telehealth, e-education, media and sustainability are also the key reasons for Australia needing NGNs. By the mid-2000s, NGNs had become an integral part of the corporate networks and, by 2008, the majority of corporates had fully-deployed NGNs in place. The NGN market is set to grow significantly moving into 2009 as it cannibalises other telecoms revenues. 

Recent regulatory changes have also seen the ACCC putting its emphasis on facilities-based competition (ULL and DSLAMs) rather than on resale. This further undermines the position of not just the smaller ISPs, but also of the larger ISPs, like Primus and AAPT, which have significant numbers of resale customers. Further consolidation will be needed, especially in relation to those players with large resale customer bases. 

Mobile market

In a market that has already reached saturation, and where mobile call charges are declining, operators’ revenue growth will continue to taper off in 2009 and 2010. However, the revenue growth rate will remain well above the subscriber growth rate, largely due to increased revenue streams that the mobile operators are getting from 3G mobile data/mobile broadband. 

Nevertheless, revenue growth rate will remain well above the subscriber growth rate, largely due to the increased revenue streams that the mobile operators are getting from 3G mobile data / mobile broadband. 

Mobile data

The data market has now taken over the mobile sector the main driver of growth driven by the retail broadband sector. Mobile voice revenues are starting to decline in a saturated market, but the mobile wireless broadband sector is keeping mobile revenue growth reasonably strong. 

Wireless broadband

The fact that progress in wireless broadband is so painfully slow is creating anxiety in the market. The reality is that mobile voice and SMS still generate 90% of mobile revenues in coming years. Full-blown, end-to-end IP-based wireless broadband infrastructure will not be in place until 2012-2015. So the changeover, especially over the next few years, will remain rather slow, with an initial change starting perhaps later in 2009 when Optus has its nationwide 3G HSDPA network in place. Nevertheless we are seeing a real explosion in mobile wireless broadband. People are starting to take up an extra subscription: one for voice one for data. This will continue for a while before we see more combined offerings. 

Market Outlook to 2018

The industry is currently experiencing rebalancing and cannibalisation, but the underlying growth factors remain high and demand for high-speed infrastructure will outperform supply. This means significant growth in new IP-based NGN systems. That, in turn, will open up the market for digital media services, applications, video content hosting and distribution. By the end of 2018, FttH and wireless broadband will be widely available and will be used by the telecoms, IT and media industries. 

Data in this report is the latest available at the time of preparation and may not be for the current year.

Table of Contents

• 1. Fixed-line operations
  
  • 1.1 Industry overview
    
  • 1.2 Telecoms services revenue forecasts
    
  • 1.3 Infrastructure
    
    • 1.3.1 Operator expenditure on infrastructure
      
    • 1.3.2 FttH
      
  • 1.4 Operator statistics
    
    • 1.4.1 Operator comparisons
      
    • 1.4.2 Telstra
      
    • 1.4.3 Optus
      
    • 1.4.4 Second tier telcos (fixed and mobile operators)
      
• 2. Mobile communications
  
  • 2.1 Mobile subscribers
    
    • 2.1.1 Prepaid vs Postpaid
      
    • 2.1.2 Operator comparisons
      
  • 2.2 Mobile revenues
    
    • 2.2.1 By operator
      
    • 2.2.2 ARPU
      
  • 2.3 Mobile handsets
    
    • 2.3.1 Suppliers
      
  • 2.4 Mobile Infrastructure
    
  • 2.5 Mobile Broadband
    
• 3. Mobile data
  
  • 3.1 Messaging
    
  • 3.2 Telemetry
    
  • 3.3 m-commerce
    
  • Table 1 – Australia - total telecoms market – retail revenue by service – 2000 - 2010
  • Table 2 – Australia - total telecoms market – annual retail growth by service – 2001 - 2010
  • Table 3 – Australia - total telecoms market – retail market share by service – 2000 - 2010
  • Table 4 – Australia - telecoms services revenue by product – 2000; 2007 - 2008; 2013; 2018
  • Table 5 – Australia - telecoms services revenue % by product – 2000; 2007 - 2008; 2013; 2018
  • Table 6 – Australia - wholesale margins by product - 2005, 2007 - 2008
  • Table 7 – Australia - wholesale margins by industry group – 2002; 2004; 2006; 2008
  • Table 8 – Australia - wholesale margins by industry group – 1996 - 2000 (historical)
  • Table 9 – Australia - forecast telecoms services revenue by market – 2007 - 2008; 2013; 2018
  • Table 10 – Australia - forecast telecoms services revenue % by market – 2007 - 2008; 2013; 2018
  • Table 11 – Australia - total capital expenditure by operator – 1998 - 2000; 2004 - 2006
  • Table 12 – Australia - total capital expenditure by operator – 2006 - 2007
  • Table 13 – Telstra operating capital expenditure by segment – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 14 – Telstra IT Transformation – cash capital expenditure – 12 months to June 2007
  • Table 15 – Optus – cash CAPEX by operating division – 2006 - 2007
  • Table 16 – Australia - homes connected to fibre – 2005 - 2010
  • Table 17 – FttH communities in Australia and New Zealand – 2008
  • Table 18 – FttH communities in Australia and New Zealand by provider – 2008
  • Table 19 – Australia - FttH communities by developer – 2008
  • Table 20 – Australia - telecoms service revenue by major provider – 2000 - 2010
  • Table 21 – Australia - telecoms service annual growth by major provider – 2001 - 2010
  • Table 22 – Australia - telecoms service market share by major provider – 2000 - 2010
  • Table 23 – Australia - data market revenue (including broadband) by provider – 1999 - 2010
  • Table 24 – Australia - data market growth (including broadband) by provider – 2000 - 2010
  • Table 25 – Australia - data market share (including broadband) by provider – 2000 - 2010
  • Table 26 – Australia - wholesale market revenues by major supplier – 1997 - 2010
  • Table 27 – Australia - wholesale market revenue growth by major supplier – 1998 - 2010
  • Table 28 – Telstra - statistical overview (calls/subscribers/networks) – 2004 - 2008
  • Table 29 – Telstra - annual growth (calls/subscribers/networks) –– 2005 - 2008
  • Table 30 – Telstra Group total revenue – 1994 - 2010
  • Table 31 – Telstra Group revenue by segment – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 32 – Telstra Group revenue by service – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 33 – Telstra fixed telephony revenue – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 34 – Telstra PSTN products revenue – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 35 – Telstra ISDN revenue – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 36 – Telstra Internet revenue – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 37 – Telstra IP and data access revenue – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 38 – Telstra mobile revenue – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 39 – Telstra mobile retail and wholesale revenue – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 40 – Telstra mobile prepaid and postpaid revenue – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 41 – Telstra business services and applications revenue – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 42 – Sensis revenue – 1998 - 2009
  • Table 43 – Sensis revenue by operating division – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 44 – Telstra offshore controlled entities revenue – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 45 – Telstra Group sales revenue, EBITDA, EBIT and net profit – 2002 - 2008
  • Table 46 – Telstra Group sales revenue, EBITDA, EBIT and net profit by growth – 2003 - 2008
  • Table 47 – Telstra Group EBIT by segment – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 48 – TelstraClear revenue, expenses, EBITDA, EBIT and CAPEX – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 49 – Sensis financial summary – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 50 – Optus Consumer telephony statistics – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 51 – Optus consumer Internet statistics – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 52 – Optus Internet subscribers (broadband & dial-up) – 1996 - 2008
  • Table 53 – Optus pay TV subscribers – 1995 - 2009
  • Table 54 – Optus Mobile subscribers, market share & prepaid ratio – 1998 - 2008
  • Table 55 – Optus Mobile key operating statistics – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 56 – Virgin Mobile Australia (50% owned) subscribers – 2000 - 20081
  • Table 57 – Optus overall operating revenue summary – 1994 - 2010
  • Table 58 – Optus revenue by major service division – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 59 – Optus revenue by major and minor service category – 2006 - 2007
  • Table 60 – Optus revenue by major and minor service category – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 61 – Optus operating revenue by operating division – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 62 – Optus mobile revenue by segment – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 63 – Optus Business and Wholesale fixed revenue by service – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 64 – Optus Consumer and SMB fixed revenue by service – 2006 - 2007
  • Table 65 – Optus Consumer and SMB fixed revenue by service – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 66 – Virgin mobile revenue – 2003 - 2005
  • Table 67 – Uecomm operating revenue – 1999 - 2005
  • Table 68 – Optus operational EBITDA by operating division – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 69 – Optus on-net ARPU – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 70 – Optus financial data by division – half year to September – 2006 - 2007
  • Table 71 – Optus Mobile division revenue – half year to September – 2006 - 2007
  • Table 72 – Optus Business & Wholesale fixed finances – half year to September – 2006 - 2007
  • Table 73 – Optus Consumer and SMB fixed finances – half year to September – 2006 - 2007
  • Table 74 – Australia - second tier telco revenues by service – 2000 - 2010
  • Table 75 – Australia - second tier telco revenue growth by service – 2001 - 2010
  • Table 76 – Australia - second tier telcos – revenue by provider – 2002 - 2009
  • Table 77 – Australia - second tier telcos – revenue growth by major provider – 2003 - 2009
  • Table 78 – Australia - second tier telcos – market shares by revenue –– 2003 - 2009
  • Table 79 – AAPT – Internet and broadband subscribers – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 80 – AAPT – Calling minutes – national – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 81 – AAPT consumer –dial-up vs broadband Internet subscribers – 2005 - 2007
  • Table 82 – AAPT Operating revenues by service – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 83 – AAPT expenses – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 84 – Amnet DSL customers – 2004 - 2007
  • Table 85 – Amcom customer breakdown
  • Table 86 – Amcom – Operating revenue – 2000 - 2009
  • Table 87 – AUSTAR Pay TV subscribers – 1996 - 2009
  • Table 88 – AUSTAR monthly subscriber churn – 2002; 2005 - 2008
  • Table 89 – AUSTAR revenue – 1996 - 2009
  • Table 90 – AUSTAR ARPU – 2004 - 2007
  • Table 91 – Commander Revenue – 2001 - 2008
  • Table 92 – Foxtel direct subscribers (excludes Optus wholesale) – 1995 - 2009
  • Table 93 – Total Foxtel subscribers including wholesale – 2002 - 2009
  • Table 94 –Foxtel and wholesale subscriber growth – 2003 - 2009
  • Table 95 – Foxtel iQ DVR subscribers – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 96 – Foxtel subscriber churn rate – 2002 - 2008
  • Table 97 – Foxtel subscriber churn rate – by customer category – 2006
  • Table 98 – Foxtel proportion of digital pay TV subscribers – 2004 - 2007
  • Table 99 – Foxtel revenue – 1998 - 2009
  • Table 100 – gotalk revenue – 2003 - 2008
  • Table 101 – iiNet active subscribers – 1997 - 2008
  • Table 102 – iiNet DSL subscribers – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 103 – iiNet VoIP subscribers – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 104 – iiNet group – total subscribers by category – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 105 – iiNet total revenue – 1997 - 2009
  • Table 106 – Macquarie revenue – 1999 - 2009
  • Table 107 – Macquarie revenue by division – 2004 - 2008
  • Table 108 – People Telecom subscribers by service – mid 2007
  • Table 109 – People Telecom broadband subscribers – 2003 – 2008
  • Table 110 – People Telecom revenue – 2002 - 2009
  • Table 111 – People Telecom revenue and customer base by market segment – 2007
  • Table 112 – People Telecom revenue by division – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 113 – Primus broadband DSL retail subscribers – 2003 - 2008
  • Table 114 – Primus DSL customers – 2005 - 2006
  • Table 115 – Primus DSLAM broadband and voice bundled customers – 2005 - 2006
  • Table 116 – Primus revenue – 1996 – 2009
  • Table 117 – Soul company structure by operating division
  • Table 118 – Soul broadband subscribers – 2003 - 2008
  • Table 119 – TPG broadband subscribers – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 120 – Soul-TPG Revenue – 2001 - 2009
  • Table 121 – TransACT total subscribers – 2002 - 2008
  • Table 122 – Unwired broadband subscribers – 2004 - 2009
  • Table 123 – Unwired customer breakdown by speed of connection – 2005
  • Table 124 – Unwired operating revenue – 2002 - 2008*
  • Table 125 – Unwired net loss – 2004 - 2007
  • Table 126 – Australia – Mobile market subscribers and penetration – 1986 - 2011
  • Table 127 – Australia – mobile subscribers by technology – 2007
  • Table 128 – Australia – prepaid subscribers (historical) – 1998 - 2005
  • Table 129 – Australia – mobile phone services in operation – pre and postpaid – 2005 - 2007
  • Table 130 – Australia – mobile subscribers by carrier – 1993 - 2009
  • Table 131 – Australia – annual growth rate of mobile subscribers by carrier – 1995 - 2009
  • Table 132 – Australia – mobile subscriber market share by carrier – 1993 - 2009
  • Table 133 – Australia – 2G mobile subscribers by carrier - 2006 - 2009
  • Table 134 - Australia – annual growth rate of 2G mobile subscribers by carrier - 2007 - 2009
  • Table 135 – Australia – 3G mobile subscribers by carrier - 2003 - 2009
  • Table 136 - Australia – annual growth rate of 3G mobile subscribers by carrier - 2007 - 2009
  • Table 137 – Australia – proportion 3G mobile subscribers vs total by carrier - 2006 - 2009
  • Table 138 – Australia – prepaid subscribers per operator – 2006 - 2009
  • Table 139 – Australia – proportion prepaid subscribers per operator – 2006 - 2009
  • Table 140 – Telstra – mobile subscribers by 2G/3G – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 141 – Telstra – wholesale subscribers – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 142 – Telstra – mobile subscribers – pre and postpaid – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 143 – Telstra – 3G mobile subscribers – pre and postpaid – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 144 – Vodafone direct mobile subscribers (excludes MVNO) – 1996 - 2009*
  • Table 145 – Vodafone mobile subscribers (includes MVNO) – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 146 – Vodafone 3G subscribers – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 147 – Vodafone voice minutes – 2005 - 2008*
  • Table 148 – Hutchison subscribers – 1999 - 2009
  • Table 149 – Hutchison customers1 by division – 2003 - 2008
  • Table 150 – Australia – mobile services market revenue – 1993 - 2011
  • Table 151 – Australia – mobile revenue % by segment (corporate, SME, residential) – 1994 - 2010
  • Table 152 – Australia – annual change in price indexes for mobile services – 2002 - 2007
  • Table 153 – Australia – forecast mobile wireless data and voice revenues – 2008; 2013; 2018
  • Table 154 – Australia – mobile services market revenue per major operator – 1993 - 2010
  • Table 155 – Australia – mobile service revenue growth by major operator – 1994 - 2010
  • Table 156 – Australia – mobile services revenue market share per major operator – 1997 - 2010
  • Table 157 – Australia – forecast mobile wireless data and voice revenues – 2007; 2012; 2017
  • Table 158 – Vodafone revenue – 1996 - 2009
  • Table 159 – Hutchison operating revenue – 1997 - 2009
  • Table 160 – Hutchison key financial results – 2004 - 2008
  • Table 161 – Australia – average ARPU across all operators – 1993 - 2010
  • Table 162 – Australia – ARPU voice vs non-voice – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 163 - Australia – 2G, 3G ARPU comparison - 2006 - 2010
  • Table 164 – Australia – blended ARPU by operator – 2003 - 2008
  • Table 165 – Australia – blended ARPU annual change by operator – 2003 - 2008
  • Table 166 – Australia – historical blended ARPU by operator – 1998 - 2002
  • Table 167 – Australia – mobile content ARPU per customer by operator – 2007
  • Table 168 – Telstra prepaid, postpaid ARPU – 2004 - 2008
  • Table 169 – Telstra ARPU by network type – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 170 – Optus prepaid, postpaid and blended ARPU per month – 2004 - 2008
  • Table 171 – Vodafone – prepaid / postpaid / blended ARPU – 2004 - 2008
  • Table 172 – Hutchison ARPU per month – 2004 - 2008
  • Table 173 – Hutchison non-voice ARPU – 2004 - 2006
  • Table 174 – Australia – handset sales – 2004 - 2008
  • Table 175 – Australia – handset sales by technology – 2006
  • Table 176 – Australia – average mobile phone cost – 1986; 1993; 1998 - 2000; 2006, 2008
  • Table 177 – Australia – handset suppliers’ market shares – 1999 - 2005; 2007
  • Table 178 – Handset supplier market share – top 3 suppliers globally – Q3 2007; Q1 2008
  • Table 179 – Australia – handset supplier market share – top four suppliers – 2008
  • Table 180 – Australia – terrestrial mobile network coverage – 2002; 2008
  • Table 181 – Australia – number of base stations and technology used by operators – 2008
  • Table 182 – Australia – mobile spectrum by city
  • Table 183 – Australia – leading retailers and number of outlets – 2008
  • Table 184 – Australia – wireless broadband subscribers by access type – 2006 - 2008
  • Table 185 – Australia - 3G wireless broadband subscribers by mobile operator – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 186 – Australia – forecast wireless penetration as % of fixed broadband – 2005; 2010; 2015
  • Table 187 – Australia - forecast mobile wireless data and voice revenues – 2008; 2013; 2018
  • Table 188 – Australia – mobile content market revenue – 2005 - 2008
  • Table 189 – Australia – online users and other media usage
  • Table 190 – Australia – revenues for Premium SMS market – 2004 - 2008
  • Table 191 – Australia – SMS growth – 2003 - 2010
  • Table 192 – Australia – mobile data revenues by operator – SMS and non-SMS – 2007 - 2008
  • Table 193 – Australia – Premium SMS market share by operator – 2007
  • Table 194 – Telstra SMSs sent – 2001 - 2007
  • Table 195 – Australia – telemetry devices sold – 1998; 2000; 2004
  • Table 196 – Australia – telemetry market – vertical market share forecast
  • Table 197 – Australia – market share electronic mobile payments of total prepaid – 2002 - 2009
  • Table 198 – Australia – major electronic payment providers and their market share – 2008
  • Table 199 – Australia – buying over the Internet by business size – 2008
  • Table 200 – Australia – items bought by SMEs over the Internet – 2008
  • Table 201 – Australia – selling over the Internet by industry sector – 2008