2012 United Arab Emirates - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband and Forecasts

Last updated: 22 Jan 2013 Update History

Report Status: Archived

Report Pages: 59

Analyst: Paul Kwon

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Publication Overview

This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in UAE’s telecommunications market. The report analyses the mobile, Internet, broadband, digital TV and converging media sectors. Subjects include:

Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
Facts, figures and statistics;
Industry and regulatory issues;
Infrastructure;
Major players, revenues, subscribers, ARPU, MoU;
Internet, IPTV;
Mobile voice and data markets;
Broadband (FttH, DSL, cable TV, wireless);
Convergence and digital media;
Broadband subscriber forecasts to 2020.

Companies covered in this report include:

Etisalat, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du), Yahsat.

Researcher:- Paul Kwon
Current publication date:- January 2013 (11th Edition)

Executive Summary

Fibre and LTE propel broadband in the UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has long held the distinction of possessing a well-developed and technologically advanced telecommunications sector with high mobile, telephone and Internet penetration. Competition is driving market development, with incumbent Etisalat competing against Yahsat and quad play provider du.

Fixed broadband services are well developed with fibre representing over a third of all fixed broadband subscriptions. Both Etisalat and du have deployed FttX networks to connect almost all households. In coming years subscribers can expect faster speeds as over three quarters of fixed home broadband subscriptions are on 8Mb/s or less.

Widely accessible Internet access has fostered development of the digital economy, encompassing e-commerce, e-government, e-health and e-learning. The UAE has also taken the initiative in implementing smart cities infrastructure, deploying smart grid technology and launching an ambitious plan to develop Masdar City, a new zero carbon, zero waste city powered entirely by renewable energy sources.

Despite widespread availability of satellite TV both Etisalat and du are using their fibre networks to market broadband TV (IPTV) services, with subscriber numbers steadily increasing from a small base. Faster broadband speeds are also supporting nascent web based Video-on-Demand (VoD) platforms.

Mobile penetration levels in the UAE are among the world’s highest, largely due to a very large and fluid expatriate population. The market is a duopoly with Etisalat and du boasting almost equal market share. Both operators offer mobile broadband services underpinned by competing HSPA/LTE networks. Both operators have also focused on mobile content and applications, with the number Near Field Communication (NFC) application deployments growing.

Key telecom parameters – 2010; 2013

Sector	2010	2013
Subscribers to telecoms services (million):
Broadband	0.79	0.97
Fixed-line telephony	1.48	1.75
Mobile phone	10.93	12.39

(Source: BuddeComm)

1. Key Statistics
- 1.1 Country overview
2. Telecommunications Market
- 2.1 Overview of UAE’s telecom market
3. Regulatory Environment
- 3.1 Background
- 3.2 Regulatory authority
- 3.3 Liberalisation
  - 3.3.1 Second operator
  - 3.3.2 Third operator
  - 3.3.3 Satellite licence
  - 3.3.4 Interconnection and access
  - 3.3.5 Number Portability (NP)
- 3.4 VoIP usage
4. Fixed Network Market
- 4.1 Overview
- 4.2 Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat)
- 4.3 Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company/du
- 4.4 Yahsat
5. Telecommunications Infrastructure
- 5.1 National telecom networks
- 5.2 International infrastructure
  - 5.2.1 Submarine cable networks
  - 5.2.2 Terrestrial cable networks
  - 5.2.3 Satellite networks
6. Broadband and Internet Market
- 6.1 Overview
  - 6.1.1 Censorship and site blocking
  - 6.1.2 Dubai Internet City (DIC)
- 6.2 Broadband statistics
- 6.3 Internet access locations
- 6.4 Fibre to the Home (FttH)
- 6.5 Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
- 6.6 Cable modems
- 6.7 Wireless broadband
  - 6.7.1 WiFi
  - 6.7.2 WiMAX
  - 6.7.3 Internet via satellite
7. Digital Media / Digital Economy
- 7.1 Overview
- 7.2 Services
  - 7.2.1 E-Commerce
  - 7.2.2 E-Government
  - 7.2.3 E-health
  - 7.2.4 E-learning
- 7.3 Smart cities/smart communities
  - 7.3.1 Overview
  - 7.3.2 Masdar City
- 7.4 Digital media
  - 7.4.1 Tejari
  - 7.4.2 Bayt.com
- 7.5 Digital broadcasting
  - 7.5.1 Overview of broadcasting market
  - 7.5.2 Digital TV
8. Mobile Communications
- 8.1 Overview of UAE’s mobile market
- 8.2 Mobile statistics
- 8.3 Regulatory issues
  - 8.3.1 Overview
  - 8.3.2 Mobile number portability
  - 8.3.3 Roaming tariff reduction
- 8.4 Mobile technologies
  - 8.4.1 Analogue and digital
  - 8.4.2 Third generation mobile
  - 8.4.3 Long Term Evolution (LTE)
- 8.5 Major mobile operators
  - 8.5.1 Etisalat
  - 8.5.2 Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company/du
- 8.6 Mobile voice services
  - 8.6.1 Prepaid
  - 8.6.2 Satellite mobile
- 8.7 Mobile messaging
  - 8.7.1 Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
- 8.8 Mobile broadband
- 8.9 Mobile content and applications
  - 8.9.1 Etisalat
  - 8.9.2 du
  - 8.9.3 Mobile TV
  - 8.9.4 M-commerce
9. Forecasts
- 9.1 Broadband forecasts
  - 9.1.1 Scenario 1 – higher growth
  - 9.1.2 Scenario 2 – lower growth
  - 9.1.3 Notes on scenario forecasts
10. Glossary of Abbreviations

Table 1 – Country statistics United Arab Emirates – 2012
Table 2 – Telephone network statistics – 2013
Table 3 – Internet user and subscriber statistics – 2013
Table 4 – Broadband statistics – 2013
Table 5 – Mobile statistics – 2013
Table 6 – National telecommunications authority
Table 7 – GDP growth and inflation – 2005 - 2013
Table 8 – Total telecommunications revenue by sector – 2007 - 2011
Table 9 – Total fixed network revenue and ARPU – 2007 - 2011
Table 10 – Total domestic and international voice revenue – 2008 - 2011
Table 11 – International outgoing traffic – 2008 - 2011
Table 12 – International outgoing revenue – 2008 - 2011
Table 13 – Average monthly spend on fixed services – October 2012
Table 14 – Total fixed voice minutes and Monthly MOU – 2008 - 2011
Table 15 – Total annual fixed voice minutes breakdown – 2008 - 2011
Table 16 – Reasons for not having a fixed line at home – October 2012
Table 17 – Reasons for cancelling fixed line at home – October 2012
Table 18 – Etisalat group revenues and divisional representation – 2005 - 2012
Table 19 – Etisalat fixed subscribers and ARPU – 2010 - 2012
Table 20 – du revenue and profit/loss – 2006 - 2012
Table 21 – du fixed line subscribers – 2007 - 2012
Table 22 – du fixed line subscribers breakdown – September 2012
Table 23 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1995 - 2013
Table 24 – Internet user and penetration – 1995 - 2013
Table 25 – Internet subscribers and penetration – 2000 - 2013
Table 26 – Broadband penetration – 2008 - 2013
Table 27 – Etisalat fixed broadband subscribers – 2010 - 2012
Table 28 – Home internet subscriptions by type – October 2012
Table 29 – Home internet subscriptions by speed – October 2012
Table 30 – Reasons for not having an internet connection at home – October 2012
Table 31 – Internet and broadband subscribers by access method – 2008 - 2011
Table 32 – Residential and business internet and broadband subscribers – 2007 - 2011
Table 33 – Total internet revenue and internet and broadband ARPU – 2007 - 2011
Table 34 – Residential and business ARPU – 2008 - 2011
Table 35 – Internet access locations – October 2012
Table 36 – Online activity by individuals – October 2012
Table 37 – Home internet package distribution – October 2012
Table 38 – du IPTV subscribers – 2008 - 2012
Table 39 – Etisalat e-life subscribers – 2010 - 2012
Table 40 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1995 - 2013
Table 41 - Mobile operators’ market share – 2007 - 2012
Table 42 – Total mobile revenue and ARPU – 2007 - 2011
Table 43 – Prepaid vs postpaid revenue – 2008 – 2011
Table 44 – Total mobile voice minutes and monthly MOU – 2008 – 2011
Table 45 – Total annual mobile voice minutes breakdown – 2008 - 2011
Table 46 – Mobile services usage by frequency of use – October 2012
Table 47 – Average monthly spend on mobile services – October 2012
Table 48 – Multiple SIM card ownership reasons – October 2012
Table 49 – Reasons for having a postpaid mobile connection – October 2012
Table 50 – Etisalat mobile subscribers and blended ARPU – 2010 - 2012
Table 51 - du Mobile subscribers and ARPU – 2010 - 2012
Table 52 – du Mobile minutes of use (MOU) – 2010 - 2012
Table 53 – Prepaid subscribers – 2005 - 2013
Table 54 – Reasons for having a prepaid mobile connection – October 2012
Table 55 – Etisalat prepaid subscribers – 2010 - 2012
Table 56 – Numbers of SMS and MMS sent – 2007 - 2011
Table 57– Etisalat consumer market mobile broadband offerings – January 2013
Table 58 – du consumer market mobile broadband offerings – January 2013
Table 59 – Mobile application usage – 2012
Table 60 – Forecast broadband subscribers – higher growth scenario – 2013, 2015; 2020
Table 61 – Forecast broadband subscribers – lower growth scenario – 2013, 2015; 2020

Chart 1 – UAE fixed-line and mobile subscribers – 2000 - 2013

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