Qatar - Telecoms Market Overview & Statistics

Synopsis

This report provides an overview of the telecommunications market in the small, very wealthy nation of Qatar. Incumbent operator Qtel has had a monopoly of fixed-line, mobile and cable TV services and of Internet provision but this is just about to change as second mobile and fixed-line licences have been issued. Both were won be a consortium led by Vodafone, which expects to launch mobile services in mid-2009. Mobile penetration levels are very well over 100%. This report gives a brief profile of Qtel, which is fast becoming one of the largest players in the region due to acquisitions. Controversial news channel Al Jazeera, based in Qatar, is also briefly profiled.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
  
• 2. Key statistics
  
• 3. Telecommunications market
  
  • 3.1 Overview of Qatar’s telecom market
    
• 4. Regulatory environment
  
  • 4.1 Background
    
    • 4.1.1 Telecommunications Law 2006
      
  • 4.2 Regulatory authority
    
  • 4.3 Telecom sector liberalisation in Qatar
    
  • 4.4 Privatisation
    
• 5. Fixed network operator in Qatar
  
  • 5.1 Qtel
    
• 6. Telecommunications infrastructure
  
  • 6.1 National telecom network
    
    • 6.1.1 Wireless Local Loop (WLL)
      
  • 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 ADSL broadband
    
  • 7.3 Wireless Broadband
    
    • 7.3.1 WiFi
      
    • 7.3.2 WiMAX
      
    • 7.3.3 Mobile broadband
      
• 8. Convergence
  
  • 8.1 Overview of media convergence
    
  • 8.2 Triple play
    
  • 8.3 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
    
• 9. Digital media
  
  • 9.1 Overview of broadcasting market
    
    • 9.1.1 Qatar Cable Vision
      
  • 9.2 Al Jazeera
    
  • 9.3 IPTV
    
  • 9.4 E-Government
    
• 10. Mobile communications
  
  • 10.1 Overview of Qatar’s mobile market
    
    • 10.1.1 Mobile statistics
      
  • 10.2 Regulatory issues
    
    • 10.2.1 Second mobile licence
      
  • 10.3 Mobile technologies
    
    • 10.3.1 Analogue
      
    • 10.3.2 Digital
      
    • 10.3.3 Third Generation (3G) mobile
      
    • 10.3.4 HSPA
      
  • 10.4 Major mobile operator
    
    • 10.4.1 Qtel
      
    • 10.4.2 Vodafone Qatar
      
  • 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 BlackBerry
      
  • 10.7 Mobile content and applications
    
    • 10.7.1 Mobile TV
      
    • 10.7.2 Email
      
• 11. Related reports
  

• Table 1 – Country statistics – 2008
• Table 2 – Telephone network statistics – 2008
• Table 3 – Internet user statistics – 2008
• Table 4 – Broadband statistics – 2008
• Table 5 – Mobile statistics – 2008
• Table 6 – National telecommunications authority
• Table 7 – Qtel group mobile and fixed-line revenue and net profit – 2005 - 2008
• Table 8 – Qtel Qatar mobile and fixed-line revenue and net profit – 2005 - 2008
• Table 9 – Qtel Qatar fixed-line subscribers and ARPU – 2007 - 2008
• Table 10 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity - 1995 - 2008
• Table 11 – Fixed-line household penetration - 2001 - 2007
• Table 12 – Internet users and penetration estimates – 1995 - 2008
• Table 13 – Internet subscribers - 1999 - 2008
• Table 14 – ADSL subscribers - 2003 - 2008
• Table 15 – Mobile subscribers and penetration - 1995 – 2009
• Table 16 – Mobile operators, subscribers and annual change - September 2008
• Table 17 – Qtel mobile postpaid and prepaid revenue and ARPU – 2007 - 2008
• Table 18 – Prepaid subscribers - 2000 - 2008
• Table 19 –Prepaid subscribers as a percentage of total - 2002 - 2008