Belgium - Mobile Market Insights, Statistics and Forecasts

Synopsis

Belgium’s mobile market is served by three main operators and a growing number of MVNOs. All three MNOs have upgraded their networks with HSPA technology, while LTE trials are continuing with a view to launching commercial services later in 2012. Mobile TV offerings are available but have yet to make an impression on consumers. In this report we profile Belgian’s mobile market, providing the latest statistics on the main players, as well as the most recent developments on HSPA rollouts, emerging data markets and data services such as SMS, i-mode and mobile TV. ARPU and 3G forecasts to 2015 are also provided.

Key developments:

Telenet Tecteo Bidco awarded fourth 20-year 3G licence; Mobistar adds mobile telephony to bundled offers; regulator concludes 2.6GHz auction; Mobistar invests €36 million to replace 2G equipment with LTE-ready kit; Telenet extends MVNO agreement with Mobistar to 2017; mobile service revenue continues to fall; Proximus trials LTE in the 1.8GHz band; BASE contracts Ericsson for backhaul upgrade; non-SMS mobile revenue growth outstripping SMS revenue; regulator’s November 2011 market data update; telco financial and operating data to Q1 2012; market developments into 2012.

Companies covered in this report include:

Proximus, Mobistar, BASE, Telenet.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. Overview of Belgium’s mobile market
  • 2.1 Mobile statistics
  • 2.2 Operator market shares
• 3. Regulatory issues
  • 3.1 Spectrum regulations and spectrum auctions
    • 3.1.1 GSM
    • 3.1.2 Third Generation (3G) mobile
    • 3.1.3 Network sharing
    • 3.1.4 2.1GHz spectrum
    • 3.1.5 2.6GHz spectrum
  • 3.2 Roaming
  • 3.3 Mobile termination rates (MTRs)
  • 3.4 Number portability (NP)
• 4. Mobile technologies
  • 4.1 Digital
  • 4.2 Third Generation (3G) mobile
• 5. Major mobile operators
  • 5.1 Proximus
  • 5.2 Mobistar
  • 5.3 BASE
  • 5.4 Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)
• 6. Mobile voice services
  • 6.1 Prepaid cards
• 7. Mobile Messaging
  • 7.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
  • 7.2 SMS over fixed networks
  • 7.3 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
• 8. Mobile data services
  • 8.1 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
  • 8.2 Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE)
  • 8.3 High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA)
  • 8.4 High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)
  • 8.5 Long-term evolution (LTE)
  • 8.6 Mobile TV
• 9. Mobile applications
  • 9.1 Location-based services
• 10. Forecasts
  • 10.1 Forecast – UMTS subscribers 2006-2012; 2015
  • 10.2 Forecast – mobile ARPU 2005-2010; 2015
  • 10.3 Notes on scenario forecasts
• 11. Related reports

• Table 1 – Mobile service revenue – 2004 - 2012
• Table 2 – Mobile revenue by type – 2001 - 2012
• Table 3 – Mobile operators, subscribers and annual change – Mar 2012
• Table 4 – Mobile/SIM card subscribers and teledensity – 1995; 1997; 1999 - 2012
• Table 5 – Active mobile/SIM card subscribers and teledensity – 2006 - 2012
• Table 6 – Mobile traffic – 2005 - 2013
• Table 7 – Market share by operator – 2002 - 2011
• Table 8 – 2.6GHz auction results – 2011
• Table 9 – European roaming charges – 2007 - 2012
• Table 10 – Roaming revenue – 2001 - 2012
• Table 11 – Mobile termination tariffs – 2006 - 2008
• Table 12 – Proposed mobile termination tariffs – 2009 - 2013
• Table 13 – Mobile termination revenue – 2007 - 2012
• Table 14 – Annual mobile numbers ported (historic) – 2002 - 2005; 2008
• Table 15 – Proximus revenue by sector (CBU) – 2007 - 2012
• Table 16 – Proximus total subscribers – 2005 - 2012
• Table 17 – Proximus CBU subscribers by type – 2007 - 2012
• Table 18 – Proximus annualised ARPU (CBU) by sector – 2007 - 2012
• Table 19 – Mobistar subscribers – 2007 - 2012
• Table 20 – Mobistar data ARPU as proportion total mobile ARPU – 2007 - 2011
• Table 21 – Mobistar mobile revenue – 2005 - 2012
• Table 22 – Mobistar annualised ARPU – 2005 - 2012
• Table 23 – BASE mobile revenue – 2007 - 2012
• Table 24 – BASE subscribers – 2004 - 2012
• Table 25 – BASE annualised ARPU – 2005 - 2012
• Table 26 – Telenet mobile subscribers – 2006 - 2012
• Table 27 – MVNO subscribers and market share – 2006 - 2012
• Table 28 – MVNO mobile traffic and market share – 2006 - 2012
• Table 29 – Mobile voice service revenue – 2001 - 2012
• Table 30 – Proportion of prepaid subscribers by operator – 2004 - 2010
• Table 31 – Prepaid and contract subscribers – 2001 - 2012
• Table 32 – Proximus SMS messages (CBU) – 2008 - 2012
• Table 33 – SMS traffic – 2001 - 2012
• Table 34 – Forecast UMTS subscribers – 2006 - 2012; 2015
• Table 35 – Forecast mobile ARPU – 2005 - 2010; 2015

• Chart 1 – Mobile service revenue – 2004 – 2012
• Chart 2 – Mobile revenue by type – 2001 – 2012
• Chart 3 – Mobile/SIM card subscribers and teledensity –2002 - 2012
• Chart 4 – Market share by operator – 2002 - 2011
• Chart 5 – Proximus revenue by sector (CBU) – 2007 - 2012
• Chart 6 – Proximus CBU subscribers by type – 2007 - 2012
• Chart 7 – Proximus annualised ARPU (CBU) by sector – 2007 - 2012
• Chart 8 – BASE annualised ARPU – 2005 - 2012