2018 Australia - Telecoms Industry - Statistics and Forecasts

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Last updated: 20 Nov 2018 Update History

Report Status: Archived

Report Pages: 166

Analyst: Phil Harpur

Publication Overview

This report covers extensive statistics and forecasts for the Australian telecoms industry over a wide range of topics including:

  • Overall Telecoms Industry segmented by major provider (including second tier markets) and by telecommunications service. 
  • Mobile and Mobile Broadband segment.
  • Smartphones, Tablets and Handset Market.
  • Fixed Broadband Market: NBN, FTTN, VDSL, FTTP, FTTB and HFC Networks.
  • Fixed Wireless and Satellite Networks.
  • Pay TV and Free-to-Air TV. 
  • Video Streaming.

Researchers:- Phil Harpur
Current publication date:- November 2018 (31st Edition)

Executive Summary

Mobile broadband and Fibre-to-the Node (FttN) are driving the Australian telco market

While fixed-line telephony traffic and revenue are declining, the mobile broadband market is growing steadily. Fixed-line broadband on the copper network is also declining as fibre and fixed-wireless broadband services become more widely available, through the NBN’s multi-technology architecture, with its emphasis on VDSL with Fibre-to-the Node (FttN). In time, much of the voice traffic will be data packet via technologies such as Voice over Long-term Evolution (VoLTE).

The release of spectrum for LTE mobile broadband use, as well as increased uptake by consumers and businesses, is helping to offset the decline in revenue from fixed-line services, although as user uptake increases so will the amount of bandwidth consumed.

Other sources of revenue for the major telcos include broadband, data and IP access, business services and applications, cloud computing and other telco services. New revenue streams from fibre and cloud computing in particular are assisting the telcos to compensate for losses from revenues from traditional revenue streams.

Revenue for mobile operators in recent years has been characterised by the continuing take up of services based on LTE technology, and to the rising proportion of mobile data to overall revenue.

By 2018, competition among operators is having a braking effect on ARPU however ARPU growth from mobile data services going forward is offsetting declines in voice ARPU. Pricing competition and market saturation is eroding voice revenue, while the continued substitution of cheaper OTT services for mobile SMS messages and the SMS is also eroding SMS revenue.

For all operators, price competition combined with a focus on managing their mobile businesses as they adapt to new technologies being brought into play, have led to considerable pressure in recent years.

The second-tier market continues to grow strongly although this has eased off to some degree during 2018. Developments in this market have been dominated by industry consolidation a process that is set to continue over coming years, in particular from Vocus and TPG, both of which continue to grow through increased scale via mergers and acquisitions.

This report provides statistics on revenue and market forecasts as well as analyses for the Australian telecommunications market by major providers and according to telecommunications service. The telecoms service market is segmented according to the major providers Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, as well by second-tier market providers including Vocus- M2, TPG and Macquarie Telecom.

Key Developments

  • The mobile broadband market is predicted to grow steadily over the next five years to 2023.
  • Fixed-line DSL broadband is declining as fibre and fixed-wireless broadband services become more widely available.
  • The second-tier market continues to grow strongly although eased off to some degree during 2018.
  • Competition among operators is having a braking effect on ARPU.
  • Very slow mobile subscriber growth is predicted over the next five years to 2023.
  • All three Australian mobile operators are now investing billions of dollars in their networks annually.

Key companies mentioned in this report:

Vodafone, 3, VHA, Optus, Telstra, iiNet, TPG, Vocus, Macquarie Telecom

Phil Harpur

November 2018

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