Kuwait - Telecoms, Mobile & Broadband

Synopsis

Kuwait’s telecoms market is the least liberalised in the Gulf region. Despite being early to introduce competition in the mobile sector, fixed line service operations remain the responsibility of the Ministry of Communication and there is no independent regulator. Prices are high across all sectors of the market. A third mobile operator launched in December 2008. The comfortable duopoly enjoyed by Zain and Wataniya has enabled them to build on their strong base to expand aggressively internationally to compete on a global scale. This report outlines the contrasting market sectors, together with appropriate statistics. It should be noted however that up to date statistics (outside the mobile sector) are rare for Kuwait and it has been necessary to estimate in some cases. In addition, population statistics, as in many of the Gulf countries, are inexact due to the high expatriate labouring population, causing problems with penetration statistics.

1. Synopsis
2. Key statistics
3. Telecommunications market
- 3.1 Overview of Kuwait’s telecom market
4. Regulatory environment
- 4.1 Background
- 4.2 Regulatory authority
- 4.3 Privatisation of Mobile Telecommunications Co
5. Telecom operators in Kuwait
- 5.1 Ministry of Communications
- 5.2 Hits Telecom
6. Telecommunications infrastructure
- 6.1 National telecom network
  - 6.1.1 Next Generation networks (NGN)
- 6.2 International infrastructure
  - 6.2.1 Submarine cable networks
  - 6.2.2 Satellite networks
7. Broadband and Internet market
- 7.1 Internet overview
  - 7.1.1 Internet statistics
- 7.2 ISP market
- 7.3 Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
- 7.4 Wireless broadband
  - 7.4.1 WiFi
  - 7.4.2 WiMAX
  - 7.4.3 Mobile broadband
  - 7.4.4 Internet via satellite
8. Convergence
- 8.1 Overview of media convergence
- 8.2 VoIP
9. Digital media
- 9.1 Overview of broadcasting market
  - 9.1.1 Showtime
- 9.2 Internet economy
10. Mobile communications
- 10.1 Overview of Kuwait’s mobile market
  - 10.1.1 Mobile statistics
- 10.2 Regulatory issues
  - 10.2.1 Third mobile operator
- 10.3 Mobile technologies
  - 10.3.1 Analogue
  - 10.3.2 Digital
  - 10.3.3 HSPA
- 10.4 Major mobile operators
  - 10.4.1 Mobile Telecommunications Co (MTC) / Zain
  - 10.4.2 National Mobile Telecommunication Co (NMT) / Wataniya Telecom
  - 10.4.3 Kuwait Telecom Company (KTC) / Viva
- 10.5 Mobile voice services
  - 10.5.1 Prepaid
  - 10.5.2 Satellite mobile
- 10.6 Mobile data services
  - 10.6.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
  - 10.6.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
  - 10.6.3 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
  - 10.6.4 Push-to-talk (PTT)
  - 10.6.5 Blackberry
- 10.7 Mobile content and applications
  - 10.7.1 Mobile TV
11. Related reports

Table 1 – Country statistics – 2008
Table 2 – Telephone network statistics – 2007
Table 3 – Internet user statistics – 2007
Table 4 – Broadband statistics – 2007
Table 5 – Mobile statistics – 2008
Table 6 – National telecommunications authority
Table 7 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity - 1995 - 2007
Table 8 – Internet user and penetration estimates - 1995 - 2007
Table 9 – Internet subscribers - 2003 - 2007
Table 10 – Broadband DSL subscribers - 2001 - 2007
Table 11 – Mobile subscribers and penetration - 1994 - 2008
Table 12 – Mobile operators, subscribers and annual change – September 2008
Table 13 – Mobile operators’ subscribers and market share – 2005 - 2008
Table 14 – Zain Group subscribers, revenue and profit - 2002 - 2008
Table 15 – Zain Kuwait Revenue and ARPU – 2005 - 2008
Table 16 – Wataniya Group subscribers, revenue and profit - 2005 - 2008
Table 17 – Wataniya Kuwait subscribers and revenue - 2006 - 2008
Table 18 – Wataniya Kuwait monthly ARPU: postpaid, prepaid and weighted average – 2005 - 2008
Table 19 – Zain Prepaid subscribers – 2005 - 2008
Table 20 – Wataniya Prepaid subscribers – 2005 - 2008