Laos - Telecoms Market Overview, Statistics & Forecasts

Synopsis

Laos is working hard to find its feet economically. While recognising the importance of building its national infrastructure, including telecommunications, Laos has needed to establish some economic equilibrium first. Despite setting up a telecom joint venture company with Thai company, Shinawatra, in 1996 in a move designed to kick start its telephone network, has taken time to build momentum in its telecom sector and fixed-line penetration still sits below 2%. The good news is the mobile market had really taken off by 2005 after Lao Telecom had lost its monopoly status and the telecom sector was opened up to competition. There is still a need for extensive regulatory reform, with the current arrangements presenting haphazard direction. This report describes the Lao telecom market and includes a statistical overview of the sector together with scenario forecasts.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
  
• 2. Key statistics
  
• 3. Telecommunications market
  
  • 3.1 Overview of telecom market in Laos
    
    • 3.1.1 International assistance
      
  • 3.2 Scenario forecasts
    
• 4. Regulatory environment
  
  • 4.1 Telecommunications Act 2001
    
  • 4.2 Master plan for telecommunications
    
• 5. Fixed network operators in Laos
  
  • 5.1 Lao Telecom
    
  • 5.2 Enterprise of Telecommunications Lao (ETL)
    
  • 5.3 Lao Asia Telecom (LAT)
    
• 6. Telecommunications infrastructure
  
  • 6.1 National telecom network
    
    • 6.1.1 Rural Telecom Project
      
  • 6.2 Forecasts – fixed-line market to 2018
    
  • 6.3 International infrastructure
    
    • 6.3.1 Terrestrial cable links
      
    • 6.3.2 Asian Development Bank Backbone Telecommunications Network
      
    • 6.3.3 Proposed satellite system
      
• 7. Internet
  
  • 7.1 Overview
    
  • 7.2 Forecasts – Internet services to 2018
    
  • 7.3 ISP market
    
  • 7.4 Public Internet access
    
  • 7.5 Top level domain name
    
  • 7.6 Broadband Internet
    
  • 7.7 VoIP telephony
    
• 8. Mobile communications
  
  • 8.1 Overview of mobile market in Laos
    
  • 8.2 Forecasts – mobile services to 2018
    
  • 8.3 Major mobile operators
    
    • 8.3.1 Lao Telecommunications Company
      
    • 8.3.2 Enterprise of Telecommunications Lao (ETL)
      
    • 8.3.3 Tigo (Millicom)
      
    • 8.3.4 Lao Asia Telecom (LAT)
      
    • 8.3.5 Sky Telecom
      
• 9. Broadcasting market
  
• 10. Notes on scenario forecasts
  
• 11. Related reports
  

• Table 1 – Country statistics – 2008
• Table 2 – Telephone network statistics – 2008
• Table 3 – Internet user statistics – 2008
• Table 4 – Mobile statistics – 2008
• Table 5 – National telecommunications authority
• Table 6 – Fixed-line operators’ subscribers and market share – 2008
• Table 7 – Fixed lines in service – 1995 - 2008
• Table 8 – Forecast fixed line growth – 2007 - 2008; 2013; 2018
• Table 9 – Internet users – 1998 - 2008
• Table 10 – Internet subscribers – 1999 - 2008
• Table 11 – Forecast Internet subscriber growth – 2007 - 2008; 2013; 2018
• Table 12 – Estimated broadband subscribers – 2002 - 2008
• Table 13 – Broadband subscribers by access type – 2007
• Table 14 – Broadband subscribers by ISP and access type – December 2006
• Table 15 – Mobile subscribers and annual growth – 1995 - 2009
• Table 16 – Mobile operators, technology, subscribers and annual change – 2008
• Table 17 – Mobile subscribers and market share by operator – 2008
• Table 18 – Mobile services sector estimated ARPU – 1998 - 2007
• Table 19 – Forecast mobile subscriber growth – 2007 - 2008; 2013; 2018
• Table 20 – Lao Telecom’s mobile subscribers and annual growth – 1995 - 2008
• Table 21 – Key broadcasting statistics – 2008