Peru's ICT market - problems and potential

Telecom Investment Research Note

Synopsis

Internet user penetration in Peru is about 22% lower than average for Latin America and the Caribbean. It used to be higher than the regional average when access was primarily through dial-up – a remarkable achievement considering Peru’s low economic indicators – but while other countries have raced ahead thanks to broadband growth, Peru has fallen behind. Broadband subscriber penetration in Peru is about 49% lower than the Latin American average. The slow development of broadband in Peru can be blamed in large part on the lack of market competition, which has made the ADSL service offered by Telefónica del Perú’s (TdP) one of the most costly in Latin America.

The only competition comes from other broadband technologies. Within only two years of launching services, triple player Telmex Peru has managed to wrest market share in both broadband and cable TV. Having won a WiMAX licence, Russia’s Yota promises to cover 12 regions of the country with a WiMAX network.