2014 Belgium - Telecoms, IP Networks, Digital Media and Forecasts

Last updated: 13 May 2014 Update History

Report Status: Archived

Report Pages: 97

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Publication Overview

This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Belgium’s telecommunications market. The report analyses the mobile, internet, broadband, digital TV and converging media sectors. Subjects include:

Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
Facts, figures and statistics;
Industry and regulatory issues;
Infrastructure;
Major Players, Revenues, Subscribers, ARPU, MoU;
Internet, VoIP, IPTV;
Mobile Voice and Data Markets;
Broadband (FttH, DSL, cable TV, wireless);
Convergence and Digital Media;
3G subscriber and mobile ARPU forecasts to 2015;
Broadband market forecasts for selective years to 2020.

Key developments:

Belgacom sells Telindus France to Vivendi; Liberty Global increases stake in Telenet; Belgacom to rebrand fixed-line and IT operations as Proximus; Mobistar and BASE complete LTE-A trials; Telenet Tecteo Bidco awarded fourth 20-year 3G licence; regulator concludes 2.6GHz and 800MHz auctions; BASE receives 900MHz licence extension; 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, launches DC-HSPA+ service; non Belgacom’s VDSL2 network providing over 88% population coverage, serving over one million subscribers; regulator secures Open Cable regulation for resale of analogue TV services; VOO upgrades broadband offering to 100Mb/s; Telenet and Ziggo extend ‘Homespot’ WiFi network; Numéricable upgrades broadband to 200Mb/s; networks on track to reach national 30Mb/s connectivity by 2020; Belgacom launches subscription VoD service; Movistar adds VoD to quintuple-play bundle; regulator’s market data update and 2012 market report; telco’s financial and operating data to Q1 2014; market developments to May 2014.

Companies covered in this report include:

Proximus, Mobistar, BASE, Telenet, Belgacom, Telenet, Versatel, Interkabel, UPC Belgium, COLT, Scarlet, Tele2.

Researcher:- Henry Lancaster
Current publication date:- May 2014 (13th Edition)

Executive Summary

Belgium spearheads LTE-A trials, 800MHz spectrum made available for mobile broadband services

Belgium’s medium-sized telecom market benefits from comprehensive DSL and cable networks which both provide near national coverage. There is a strong cable-TV sector, and effective competition in the broadband and mobile telephony markets. Broadband penetration has made considerable progress in recent years, largely thanks to regulatory measures to promote wholesale and bitstream access.

The 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 services are now widely available. Mobistar in April 2014 became one of the first operators globally to complete trials of LTE-A technology combining 1800MHz and 800MHz spectrum, delivering data above 200Mb/s. Mobile TV offerings are available but have yet to make an impression on consumers.

In the broadband sector there is effective competition between the DSL and cable platforms, though prices remain relatively high since the take-up for unbundled loops is low the incumbent Belgacom remains the dominant DSL provider. Network investments from Telenet, deploying DOCSIS 3.0, and from Belgacom with its hybrid fibre/VDSL network have greatly improved the availability of faster services in recent years. Related to this development is the growing popularity of bundled services offerings among consumers, and the efforts among telcos to offer the full range of services.

The broadcasting sector is characterised by language variations to accommodate the French and Walloon regions. Analogue broadcasts have been switched off nationally, allowing for digital dividend spectrum to be auctioned in late 2013 for mobile broadband services.

This report provides data and analysis on key aspects of the Belgian telecom market. It assesses the latest statistics on fixed-network infrastructure and services, and reviews key regulatory issues, noting the status of interconnection, local loop unbundling, number portability and carrier preselection. The strategies and operating performance of the major operators are also profiled. It also considers the mobile market, providing the latest statistics on the main players, as well as the most recent developments on HSPA and LTE rollouts, as well as emerging data markets and data services such as SMS and mobile TV. ARPU and 3G forecasts to 2015 are also provided. In the fixed and wireless broadband markets the report details developments in technologies including VDSL, vectoring DSL, DOCSIS.30, FttX, WiFi, FWA and WiMAX.

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

1. Key Statistics
2. Telecommunications Market
- 2.1 Overview of Belgium’s telecom market
3. Regulatory Environment
- 3.1 History
  - 3.1.1 EU regulatory framework
  - 3.1.2 Revised NFR
- 3.2 Regulatory authority
  - 3.2.1 Belgian Institute for Posts and Telecommunications (BIPT)
- 3.3 Telecom sector liberalisation in Belgium
  - 3.3.1 Privatisation of Belgacom
  - 3.3.2 Interconnect
  - 3.3.3 Access
  - 3.3.4 Number Portability (NP)
  - 3.3.5 Carrier PreSelection (CPS)
  - 3.3.6 Wholesale Line Rental (WLR)
4. Fixed Network Operators
- 4.1 Overview of operators
- 4.2 Belgacom
  - 4.2.1 Company overview
  - 4.2.2 Company statistics
- 4.3 COLT Telecom NV
- 4.4 Mobistar
  - 4.4.1 Company overview
  - 4.4.2 Company statistics
- 4.5 Scarlet (formerly KPN Belgium)
- 4.6 Tele2 Belgium
- 4.7 Telenet
  - 4.7.1 Company overview
  - 4.7.2 Company statistics
5. Telecommunications Infrastructure
- 5.1 National telecom network
- 5.2 Next Generation Network (NGN)
- 5.3 International infrastructure
- 5.4 E-Health services
- 5.5 Cloud services
6. Broadband Market
- 6.1 Overview
  - 6.1.1 Broadband statistics
- 6.2 Cable modems
  - 6.2.1 Telenet
  - 6.2.2 Interkabel
  - 6.2.3 Numéricable
- 6.3 Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
  - 6.3.1 Belgacom’s DSL services
  - 6.3.2 Versatel/Tele2 Belgium
  - 6.3.3 Mobistar
- 6.4 Other DSL developments
  - 6.4.1 SDSL
  - 6.4.2 VDSL
  - 6.4.3 G.SHDSL
- 6.5 Fibre-to-the-Premise (FttP) networks
  - 6.5.1 Government support
  - 6.5.2 Regulating fibre
  - 6.5.3 Digital Metropolis Antwerp
  - 6.5.4 Belgacom
- 6.6 Broadband Powerline (BPL)
- 6.7 Wireless broadband
  - 6.7.1 Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)
  - 6.7.2 WLAN/WiFi
  - 6.7.3 WiMAX
- 6.8 Mobile broadband
7. Digital Media
- 7.1 Key general trends
- 7.2 Business models
  - 7.2.1 Bundled services
- 7.3 Regulatory issues
- 7.4 Digital TV (DTV)
  - 7.4.1 Broadband TV (IPTV)
  - 7.4.2 VoIP
  - 7.4.3 Video-on-Demand (VoD)
  - 7.4.4 Cable TV
  - 7.4.5 Satellite TV
  - 7.4.6 Digital Terrestrial TV (DTTV)
  - 7.4.7 Free-to-Air (FTA) TV
  - 7.4.8 Interactive TV (iDTV)
8. Mobile Communications
- 8.1 Overview of Belgium’s mobile market
  - 8.1.1 Mobile statistics
  - 8.1.2 Operator market shares
- 8.2 Regulatory issues
  - 8.2.1 Spectrum regulations and spectrum auctions
  - 8.2.2 Roaming
  - 8.2.3 Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs)
  - 8.2.4 Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
- 8.3 Mobile technologies
  - 8.3.1 Digital
  - 8.3.2 Third Generation (3G) mobile
- 8.4 Major mobile operators
  - 8.4.1 Proximus
  - 8.4.2 Mobistar
  - 8.4.3 BASE
  - 8.4.4 Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)
- 8.5 Mobile voice services
  - 8.5.1 Prepaid cards
- 8.6 Mobile Messaging
  - 8.6.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
  - 8.6.2 SMS over fixed networks
  - 8.6.3 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
- 8.7 Mobile data services
  - 8.7.1 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
  - 8.7.2 Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE)
  - 8.7.3 High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA)
  - 8.7.4 High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)
  - 8.7.5 Long-term Evolution (LTE)
  - 8.7.6 Mobile TV
  - 8.7.7 Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
- 8.8 Mobile applications
  - 8.8.1 Location-based services
9. Forecasts
- 9.1 Forecast – broadband subscribers – 2010-2012; 2020
  - 9.1.1 Scenario 1 – higher broadband subscriber growth
  - 9.1.2 Scenario 2 – lower broadband subscriber growth
- 9.2 Forecast – UMTS subscribers 2006-2012; 2015
- 9.3 Forecast – mobile ARPU – 2010 - 2015
- 9.4 Notes on scenario forecasts

Table 1 – Country statistics – 2013 (e)
Table 2 – Telecom revenue and investment statistics – 2012
Table 3 – Telephone network statistics – 2014 (e)
Table 4 – Internet user statistics – 2013 (e)
Table 5 – Broadband statistics – 2014 (e)
Table 6 – Mobile statistics – 2014 (e)
Table 7 – National telecommunications authority
Table 8 – Telecom market investment: fixed and mobile by sector – 2006 - 2012
Table 9 – Telecom market investment (regulator data) – 2007 - 2012
Table 10 – Total retail and wholesale telecom revenue – 2011 - 2012
Table 11 – Retail telecom revenue by sector – 2011 - 2012
Table 12 – Share of telecom revenue by sector – 2011 - 2012
Table 13 – Unbundled loops and access lines (historic) – 2004 - 2009
Table 14 – BRUO and BROBA monthly access fees – 2011
Table 15 – Fixed numbers ported – 2000 - 2012
Table 16 – Carrier preselect numbers and annual change – 2000 - 2012
Table 17 – Belgacom share of fixed-line traffic by type – 2006 - 2012
Table 18 – Fixed-line telephony revenue – 2002 - 2014
Table 19 – Average price for fixed-line call – 2007 - 2012
Table 20 – Fixed-line traffic by type – 2005 - 2012
Table 21 – Overall outgoing fixed-line and mobile traffic – 2008 - 2014
Table 22 – Belgacom (CBU) access channels – 2007 - 2014
Table 23 – Belgacom residential traffic – 2007 - 2014
Table 24 – Belgacom Group financial data – 2003 - 2014
Table 25 – Belgacom revenue by sector – 2004 - 2014
Table 26 – Belgacom revenue by operating division – 2007 - 2014
Table 27 – Belgacom fixed-line services revenue by sector (CBU) – 2007 - 2014
Table 28 – Belgacom monthly ARPU by sector (CBU) – 2005 - 2014
Table 29 – Mobistar financial data by sector – 2007 - 2014
Table 30 – Mobistar subscribers by sector – 2008 - 2014
Table 31 – Telenet revenue by sector – 2004 - 2014
Table 32 – Telenet subscribers by sector – 2006 - 2014
Table 33 – Telenet financial data – 2005 - 2014
Table 34 – Telenet subscriber monthly ARPU – 2005 - 2014
Table 35 – Historical – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1995; 1997; 1999 - 2004
Table 36 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2005 - 2014
Table 37 – Fixed lines by type – 2006 - 2012
Table 38 – Altnet fixed lines – 2000 - 2013
Table 39 – Internet users and penetration rate – 1995 - 2004
Table 40 – Internet users and penetration rate – 2005 - 2014
Table 41 – Historical – Broadband fixed-line subscribers by technology – 2000 - 2004
Table 42 – Broadband fixed-line subscribers by technology – 2005 - 2014
Table 43 – Broadband subscription net additions per year – 2005 - 2012
Table 44 – Fixed-line broadband penetration – 2000 - 2014
Table 45 – Fixed-line broadband penetration by service – 2007 - 2013
Table 46 – Proportion of fixed-broadband lines by speed – 2007 - 2012
Table 47 – Broadband market share by operator – 2006 - 2012
Table 48 – Cable modem subscribers – 2000 - 2014
Table 49 – Telenet broadband subscribers – 2006 - 2014
Table 50 – Telenet financial data – 2005 - 2014
Table 51 – ADSL subscribers – 2000 - 2014
Table 52 – Historical – Belgacom ADSL subscribers – 2000 - 2004
Table 53 – Belgacom ADSL subscribers – 2005 - 2014
Table 54 – Mobistar broadband subscribers – 2008 - 2014
Table 55 – WLL broadband subscribers – 2005 - 2014
Table 56 – Mobile broadband subscribers by technology – 2008 - 2013
Table 57 – Mobile broadband penetration by technology – 2009 - 2013
Table 58 – Bundled services by type – 2007 - 2012
Table 59 – Proportion of bundled services by type – 2007 - 2012
Table 60 – Telenet triple-play subscribers – 2002 - 2014
Table 61 – Telenet bundled services penetration – 2012 - 2014
Table 62 – Broadcasting revenue – 2011-2014
Table 63 – Belgacom TV households – 2006 - 2014
Table 64 – Belgacom annualised IPTV ARPU, revenue – 2006 - 2014
Table 65 – VoIP connections – 2006 - 2012
Table 66 – Historic - Cable TV subscribers and penetration rate – 1995 – 2004
Table 67 – Cable TV subscribers and penetration rate – 2004 – 2012; 2015
Table 68 – Telenet cable TV subscribers by sector – 2005 - 2014
Table 69 – Telenet subscriber annualised monthly ARPU – 2005 - 2014
Table 70 – Historical - Satellite TV subscribers – 1995 - 2004
Table 71 – Satellite TV subscribers – 2005 – 2011; 2015
Table 72 – Mobile service revenue – 2010 - 2013
Table 73 – Historical – Active mobile/SIM card subscribers and teledensity – 1995; 1997; 1999 - 2004
Table 74 – Active mobile/SIM card subscribers and teledensity – 2005 - 2014
Table 75 – Mobile traffic – 2005 - 2014
Table 76 – Average use of service per subscriber per month– 2011 - 2012
Table 77 – Market share by operator – 2002 - 2012
Table 78 – 800MHz auction results – 2013
Table 79 – 2.6GHz auction results – 2011
Table 80 – Spectrum assignment overview
Table 81 – European voice roaming charges – 2007 - 2014
Table 82 – European SMDS and data roaming charges – 2011 - 2014
Table 83 – Roaming revenue – 2001 - 2012
Table 84 – Mobile termination tariffs – 2006 - 2008
Table 85 – Proposed mobile termination tariffs – 2009 - 2013
Table 86 – Mobile termination revenue – 2007 - 2012
Table 87 – Annual mobile numbers ported – 2002 - 2012
Table 88 – Proximus revenue by sector (CBU) – 2007 - 2014
Table 89 – Proximus total subscribers – 2005 - 2014
Table 90 – Proximus CBU subscribers by type – 2007 - 2014
Table 91 – Proximus annualised ARPU (CBU) by sector – 2007 - 2014
Table 92 – Mobistar subscribers – 2007 - 2014
Table 93 – Mobistar data ARPU as proportion total mobile ARPU – 2007 - 2012
Table 94 – Mobistar mobile services revenue – 2005 - 2014
Table 95 – Mobistar annualised ARPU – 2005 - 2014
Table 96 – BASE mobile revenue – 2007 - 2014
Table 97 – BASE subscribers – 2004 - 2014
Table 98 – BASE annualised ARPU – 2005 - 2014
Table 99 – Telenet mobile subscribers – 2006 - 2014
Table 100 – MVNO subscribers and market share – 2006 - 2013
Table 101 – MVNO mobile traffic and market share – 2006 - 2014
Table 102 – Mobile voice service revenue – 2001 - 2014
Table 103 – Proportion of prepaid subscribers by operator – 2004 - 2014
Table 104 – Prepaid and contract subscribers – 2001 - 2012
Table 105 – Proximus SMS messages (CBU) – 2008 - 2014
Table 106 – SMS traffic – 2001 - 2014
Table 107 – SMS revenue – 2010 - 2012
Table 108 – Mobistar M2M connections – 2009 - 2012
Table 109 – Mobistar M2M revenue – 2009 - 2012
Table 110 – Forecast broadband subscribers – higher market growth scenario – 2010 - 2012; 2020
Table 111 – Forecast broadband penetration – higher market growth scenario – 2007 - 2012; 2020
Table 112 – Forecast broadband subscribers – lower market growth scenario – 2010 - 2012; 2020
Table 113 – Forecast broadband penetration – lower market growth scenario – 2007 - 2012; 2020
Table 114 – Forecast UMTS subscribers – 2006 - 2012; 2015
Table 115 – Forecast Mobile ARPU by service – 2010 - 2015

Chart 1 – Fixed-line traffic by type – 2005 – 2012
Chart 2 – Belgacom residential traffic – 2007 - 2014
Chart 3 – Belgacom Group financial data – 2003 - 2014
Chart 4 – Belgacom revenue by sector – 2004 - 2014
Chart 5 – Belgacom revenue by operating division – 2007 - 2014
Chart 6 – Belgacom fixed-line services revenue by sector (CBU) – 2007 - 2014
Chart 7 – Mobistar financial data – 2007 - 2014
Chart 8 – Mobistar subscribers by sector – 2008 - 2014
Chart 9 – Telenet revenue by sector – 2004 - 2014
Chart 10 – Telenet subscribers by sector – 2006 - 2014
Chart 11 – Telenet financial data – 2005 - 2014
Chart 12 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2005 - 2014
Chart 13 – Fixed lines by type – 2006 – 2012
Chart 14 – Internet users and penetration rate – 2005 - 2014
Chart 15 – Broadband subscribers by technology – 2005 - 2014
Chart 16 – Telenet financial data – 2005 - 2014
Chart 17 – Bundled services by type – 2007 – 2012
Chart 18 – Belgacom annualised ARPU, revenue – 2006 – 2014
Chart 19 – Cable TV subscriber statistics and penetration rate – 2000 - 2011; 2015
Chart 20 – Telenet cable TV subscribers by sector – 2007 - 2014
Chart 21 – Mobile service revenue – 2010 – 2014
Chart 22 – Mobile/SIM card subscribers and teledensity –2005 - 2014
Chart 23 – Market share by operator – 2002 - 2012
Chart 24 – Proximus CBU subscribers by type – 2007 - 2014
Chart 25 – Proximus annualised ARPU (CBU) by sector – 2007 - 2014
Chart 26 – BASE annualised ARPU – 2005 - 2014

Exhibit 1 – EU – The New Regulatory Framework (NRF)
Exhibit 2 – Access and the local loop
Exhibit 3 – Number portability defined
Exhibit 4 – Key ADSL service providers
Exhibit 5 – WiMAX spectrum licenses – 2001 - 2005

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