Synopsis
The Philippines mobile market took off back in 1999/2000. In the decade or so since the number of mobile telephone subscribers has grown by more than 90 million coming into 2012, mobile penetration had moved past 100% in this country of around 94 million people. This report looks at the market in which this growth has taken place. It also describes another related phenomenon – the surprising performance of SMS in the Philippines. Around 1.8 billion SMS messages are being sent every day in the Philippines. This is the largest SMS volume in the world, the Philippines accounting for more than 10% of global SMS at one stage and the country’s mobile operators were reported to be generating the highest proportion of non-voice revenues in the world. But an indication of the constant change in the mobile market is that the Philippines SMS market had started to decline in 2010/2011 as the impact of internet-based social networks started to have an impact on SMS usage. This report takes a broad look at the mobile market in the Philippines and provides some pertinent statistics.
The Philippines has a vibrant media sector. Ownership has been predominantly private and freedom of the press is guaranteed by the Constitution. The first television broadcast was in 1953. There are six free-to-air nationwide television networks. Cable TV was launched as long ago as 1969, but it has only been in recent years that it has really started to grow, substantially boosted by the prospect of bundling broadcasting with Internet, telephony and other services. This report provides a broad overview of the Philippines television broadcasting market.
Key developments:
The Philippine mobile market had passed the milestone of 100% penetration; both Smart and Globe Telecom have introduced high speed mobile data services; the two operators also launched trial 4G/LTE services; the NTC approved PLDT’s acquisition of Digitel with certain conditions; mobile operators cut SMS rates in accordance with NTC mandate; a dispute between the operators and the NTC over per-pulse billing remained unresolved for the time being; AZ mobile lost its court appeal against the NTC’s decision on awarding of 3G licences.
The Philippines has put a program in place to move the broadcasting market to fully digital by 2015. The country has selected the ISDB-T for its terrestrial transmission standard. Leading cable TV operator Sky Cable acquired second ranked Global Destiny Cable.
Companies covered in this report include:
PLDT, Smart Communications, Talk ‘N Text (TNT), Red Mobile (CURE), Globe Telecom, Digitel, Extelcom, Bayantel, MultiMedia Telephony, AZ Communications Network.
PLDT, MediaQuest, MediaScape, Sky Cable, Home Cable, Destiny Cable, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, Associated Broadcasting Corporation.
