Switzerland - Broadband Market - Overview, Statistics and Forecasts

Synopsis

Switzerland has one of Europe’s highest Internet and broadband penetration rates in Europe, benefitting from excellent and effectively competitive cable and DSL platforms. DSL has overtaken cable as is the principal access technology, and the market is dominated by Swisscom’s retail offerings. UPC also offers cable broadband in most cities and towns, and its extension of 100Mb/s services during 2010 has spurred Swisscom to intensify its VDSL network rollout as well as invest more fulsomely in its national fibre network in a bid to remain competitive. To this end, Swisscom has set aside for fibre networks a significant proportion of its planned CHF8 billion infrastructure investment to 2015. Much of this has been facilitated by cooperative deals struck with regional utility companies.

In this report we present an analysis of Switzerland’s broadband market in 2011. The report profiles the main players in the DSL, cable, fibre and wireless sectors, detailing technological developments for the provision of triple-play services and providing broadband forecasts to 2020. We also examine regulatory issues surrounding municipal fibre, legislation providing for local loop unbundling, and the provision of broadband as a universal service.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. Overview
  • 2.1 Government strategy
  • 2.2 Universal Service Obligation (USO)
  • 2.3 Broadband statistics
• 3. Cable modems
  • 3.1 UPC
• 4. Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
  • 4.1 Swisscom
  • 4.2 Sunrise
  • 4.3 Cybernet
  • 4.4 VDSL
  • 4.5 Naked DSL
• 5. Fibre-to-the-Home (FttH) networks
  • 5.1.1 Regulatory measures
  • 6. Broadband Powerline (BPL)
  • 7. Wireless broadband
  • 7.2 Wireless LANS (WLAN)
    • 7.2.1 WiMAX/WiFi
    • 7.2.2 Hospitality Services
    • 7.2.3 Swisscom Mobile
    • 7.2.4 UPC
  • 7.3 Mobile broadband
  • 7.4 Satellite
• 8. Forecasts – broadband subscribers – 2009 - 2012; 2020
  • 8.1 Scenario 1 – higher broadband subscriber growth
  • 8.2 Scenario 2 – lower broadband subscriber growth
  • 8.3 Notes on scenario forecasts
• 9. Related reports

• Table 1 – Dial-up Internet subscribers – 2000 - 2012
• Table 2 – Internet users and penetration rate – 1996 - 2012
• Table 3 – Total broadband subscribers by type – 2000 - 2012
• Table 4 – Broadband penetration by technology – 2004 - 2011
• Table 5 – Broadband market share by operator – 2007 - 2009
• Table 6 – Broadband lines by capacity – 2008 - 2009
• Table 7 – Cable broadband homes – 2002 - 2009
• Table 8 – Cable broadband lines by capacity – 2008 - 2009
• Table 9 – UPC broadband offers – 2011
• Table 10 – UPC financial data – 2005 - 2010
• Table 11 – UPC operational data: home and subscriber statistics – 2006 - 2010
• Table 12 – DSL accesses by main provider – 2004 - 2009
• Table 13 – DSL market share by main provider – 2004 - 2009
• Table 14 – DSL broadband lines by capacity – 2008 - 2009
• Table 15 – Swisscom ADSL subscribers – 2003 - 2010
• Table 16 – Swisscom dial-up subscribers (historic) – 2003 - 2007
• Table 17 – Sunrise broadband subscribers – 2005 - 2010
• Table 18 – Fibre subscribers – 2007 - 2012
• Table 19 – Fibre broadband lines by capacity – 2008 - 2009
• Table 20 – Broadband powerline connections – 2001 - 2009
• Table 21 – Mobile broadband subscribers; data transferred – 2008 - 2009
• Table 22 – Broadband satellite connections – 2008 - 2009
• Table 23 – Forecast fixed-line broadband subscribers – higher market growth scenario – 2009 - 2012; 2020
• Table 24 – Forecast fixed-line broadband penetration – higher market growth scenario – 2009 - 2012; 2020
• Table 25 – Forecast fixed-line broadband subscribers – lower market growth scenario – 2009 - 2012; 2020
• Table 26 – Forecast fixed-line broadband penetration – lower market growth scenario – 2009 - 2012; 2020

• Chart 1 – Dial-up Internet subscribers – 2000 – 2012
• Chart 2 – Internet users and penetration rate – 1996 – 2012
• Chart 3 – Total broadband subscribers by type – 2000 – 2012
• Chart 4 – Broadband penetration by technology – 2004 – 2011
• Chart 5 – Broadband market share by operator – 2007 – 2009
• Chart 6 – Cable broadband homes – 2002 – 2009
• Chart 7 – UPC financial data – 2005 – 2010
• Chart 8 – DSL market share by main provider – 2004 – 2009
• Chart 9 – Swisscom ADSL subscribers – 2003 – 2010
• Chart 10 – Sunrise broadband subscribers – 2005 – 2010
• Chart 11 – Fibre subscribers – 2007 – 2012
• Chart 12 – Forecast fixed-line broadband subscribers – higher market growth scenario – 2009 - 2012; 2020
• Chart 13 – Forecast fixed-line broadband subscribers – lower market growth scenario – 2009 - 2012; 2020