2012 Denmark - Telecoms, IP Networks, Digital Media and Forecasts

Government increases national upload speed to 30Mb/s by 2020

BuddeComm’s half-yearly publication, Denmark - Telecoms, IP Networks, Digital Media and Forecasts, provides a comprehensive overview of the trends and developments in the telecommunications and digital media markets in one of Europe’s smaller and more advanced countries. The report includes the regulator’s market data for H1 2012, telcos’ financial and operating data to Q4 2012, and market developments to April 2013.

Telecom market overview

Denmark’s competitive telecom sector has benefited from government efforts to develop national FttH services, with the aim of providing widely available 1Gb/s services by 2020. Overall telecoms sector revenue continues to fall, with lower revenue from landline and mobile telephony in recent years partly offset by a slight growth in data communications and broadband. Revenue decline, exacerbated by the poor economic climate, has also affected investment among telcos, which has fallen steadily since 2009. To secure future revenue stream telcos’ investment strategies are focussed on expanding their mobile and fibre-based networks, and securing spectrum when made available.

Broadband market

Denmark has one of the highest broadband penetration rates in the world, helped by excellent DSL and cable infrastructure and the growing availability of fibre networks. The government has also long promoted broadband as a crucial economic driver. A 2013 study by the Enterprise Agency emphasised the escalating demand for greater network speeds, and to this end the government has targeted national 30Mb/s upload access, complementing the existing provision of 100Mb/s download speeds by 2020.

Key telecom parameters – 2010; 2013

(Source: BuddeComm)

Market Highlights

• Licensees for recently auctioned spectrum the 800MHz band must provide mobile broadband services of at least 10Mb/s. Coverage obligations must to be fulfilled by 2015.
• The cable sector is dominated by TDC’s YouSee and Stofa, which have both invested in DOCSIS3.0 technology to help retain customers in areas where FttH is being rolled out. Stofa in late 2012 was sold by Ratos to an energy company.
• The government continues to facilitate municipal access to fibre infrastructure as part of a process to provide a 50Mb/s service by 2013 and to prepare the groundwork for 1Gb/s services by 2020. In addition, a 30Mb/s upload speed has been mandated nationally. Denmark is expected to have among the more concentrated FttH networks in Europe within the next decade.

This report is essential reading for those needing high level strategic information and objective analysis on the telecom sector in Denmark. It provides further information on:

• Market liberalisation and regulatory issues;
• The impact of the global economic crisis;
• Telecoms operators – privatisation, acquisitions, new licences;
• Mobile data market developments in coming years in light of spectrum auctions and new license awards;
• 3G developments, regulatory issues and technologies including HSPA and LTE;
• Broadband migration to an FttH architecture;
• Historical and current subscriber statistics and forecasts;
• ARPU statistics and forecasts.

Data in this report is the latest available at the time of preparation and may not be for the current year.