2014 Ireland - Telecoms, IP Networks, Digital Media and Forecasts

Last updated: 11 Mar 2014 Update History

Report Status: Archived

Report Pages: 97

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Publication Overview

This report provides statistics and analysis on the key sectors of the Irish telecom market, presenting an overview of the regulatory environment, fixed network operators and services, and telecom infrastructure. It profiles the fixed and wireless broadband markets, including developments in technologies such as FttP, powerline broadband, wireless and mobile broadband, WiFi and internet via satellite. It also provides forecasts for broadband uptake to 2020. The report presents an overview of digital media platforms and service providers, noting the status of digital TV via the terrestrial, cable and satellite sectors, as well as interactive TV services. In addition, it provides statistics and analysis on the mobile market, including the key regulatory issues, a snapshot of the consumer market, emerging technologies, and the growth of mobile data services.

Key developments:

Government promotes NewEra National Recovery Programme requiring 90% FttC connectivity; Emerald Networks secures loan approval for 100Gb/s cable linking Ireland to Iceland and the US; eircom obliged to make fibre networks available to altnets, reports falling revenue for 2013; Vodafone plans fibre network to 450,000 premises; UPC launches a 500Mb/s service; Next Generational Broadband Taskforce set up for broadband roadmap; eircom begins deploying DSL vectoring; eircom’s eFiber service to pass 70% or premises by mid-2016; recovery in the number of WiFi hotspots and access points; Sky launches triple play service; eircom expands ‘eVision’ service in competition to Sky and UPC Ireland; regulator suspends auction of remaining blocks of 1800MHz wireless spectrum after receiving no bids; Meteor and O2 sign network sharing deal; Vodafone and 3 agree to a 50/50 JV; O2 launches MVNO; Hutchison makes €780 million bid for O2 Ireland; mobile broadband subscriber base falls; Vodafone increases investment; half of Vodafone subscribers using smartphones; MTRs reduced again; regulator’s market data to Q3 2013; telco operating and financial data to Q4 2013; market developments to March2014.

Companies covered in this report include:

UPC Ireland, Smart Telecom, Magnet Networks, eircom, Casey Cablevision, Vodafone Ireland, O2 Ireland, eMobile, Meteor Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Digiweb.

Researcher:- Henry Lancaster
Current publication date:- March 2014 (13th Edition)

Executive Summary

Proposed merger of key mobile players promises overhaul of the mobile market

Ireland’s telecom market has undergone a long period in which the incumbent eircom was mismanaged and under-invested in its infrastructure. Concurrently, the poor economic conditions have dented consumer spend in telecom services. The government’s indebtedness also obliged it to rein in investment in infrastructure. As a result, telecom sector revenue fell 4.5% in the year to September 2013, affecting the ability of telcos to invest across the board. However, some renewed momentum among operators suggests that some recovery in the sector should be expected into 2014 and 2015.

For some years, the market for converged media and applications in Ireland was hampered by poor broadband infrastructure. The position has become brighter more recently, since the main cable operator UPC Ireland has upgraded its network and eircom has begun to deliver in its fibre infrastructure. Relatively low penetration has partly been due to high wholesale costs, lack of competition, high retail prices, and limited coverage of fast services in many non-urban areas. Broadband growth is now largely in the cable and mobile sectors, though in coming years it is expected that a larger proportion of subscribers to DSL services will be migrated to fibre networks where these become available.

Ireland’s mobile market has undergone considerable changes in recent years. The market enjoys effective competition between four main players as well as a small number of MVNOs, which provide additional market competition. Mobile broadband, on the back of expanding HSPA and LTE networks, has become popular among consumers since the introduction of flat-rate data plans. The regulator has also set aside UHF spectrum for use by mobile TV services, while spectrum in several bands has been freed up for 4G use. The acquisition by Hutchison of O2 Ireland, subject to regulatory scrutiny, would create a triopoly of players with roughly equal market share.

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

1. Key Statistics
2. Telecommunications Market
- 2.1 Overview of Ireland’s telecom market
3. Regulatory Environment
- 3.1 History
- 3.2 Revised NFR
- 3.3 Regulatory authority
  - 3.3.1 Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg)
- 3.4 Telecom sector liberalisation in Ireland
  - 3.4.1 Privatisation of eircom
  - 3.4.2 Interconnect
  - 3.4.3 Access
  - 3.4.4 Fibre access
- 3.5 Number Portability (NP)
- 3.6 Carrier PreSelection (CPS)
4. Fixed Network Operators
- 4.1 Overview
- 4.2 Operator market shares
- 4.3 Eircom
  - 4.3.1 Going into 2014
  - 4.3.2 Company restructure
  - 4.3.3 Managing debt
- 4.4 BT Ireland
- 4.5 Smart Telecom
- 4.6 Tele2
- 4.7 Other operators
5. Telecommunications Infrastructure
- 5.1 National telecom network
- 5.2 Structural separation issues
- 5.3 Next Generation Networks (NGNs)
- 5.4 International
  - 5.4.1 Submarine cable networks
  - 5.4.2 Satellite networks
6. Broadband Market
- 6.1 Overview
  - 6.1.1 Broadband statistics
  - 6.1.2 National Development Plan
  - 6.1.3 Promoting broadband
  - 6.1.4 Government networks
  - 6.1.5 Other providers
  - 6.1.6 Regional infrastructure
  - 6.1.7 Wholesale bitstream
  - 6.1.8 eHealth
- 6.2 Cable modems
- 6.3 Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
  - 6.3.1 Alternative operators
  - 6.3.2 ADSL2+
  - 6.3.3 VDSL
- 6.4 Fibre-to-the-Premise (FttP) networks
  - 6.4.1 Eircom
  - 6.4.2 BT Ireland
  - 6.4.3 Vodafone/ Electricity Supply Board (ESB)
- 6.5 Broadband Powerline (BPL)
- 6.6 Mobile broadband
- 6.7 Wireless broadband
  - 6.7.1 1.7GHz band
  - 6.7.2 10.5GHz band
  - 6.7.3 3.5GHz band
  - 6.7.4 Other spectrum
  - 6.7.5 Digiweb
  - 6.7.6 National Fixed Wireless Point to Multipoint Licences (FWPMA)
  - 6.7.7 Other developments
  - 6.7.8 Other bands
  - 6.7.9 WiFi
  - 6.7.10 Worldwide Interoperability of Microwave Access (WiMAX)
  - 6.7.11 WiFibre
  - 6.7.12 Internet via satellite
7. Digital Media
- 7.1 Overview
  - 7.1.1 Key general trends
  - 7.1.2 Business models
  - 7.1.3 Regulatory issues
- 7.2 Digital TV
  - 7.2.1 Overview and statistics
  - 7.2.2 Broadband TV (IPTV)
  - 7.2.3 Cable TV
  - 7.2.4 Satellite TV
  - 7.2.5 Digital Terrestrial TV (DTTV)
  - 7.2.6 Video-on-Demand (VoD)
  - 7.2.7 VoIP
  - 7.2.8 Digital cinema
  - 7.2.9 Interactive TV (iTV)
8. Mobile Communications
- 8.1 Overview of Ireland’s mobile market
  - 8.1.1 Mobile statistics
- 8.2 Regulatory issues
  - 8.2.1 Spectrum regulations and spectrum auctions
  - 8.2.2 Roaming
  - 8.2.3 Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
  - 8.2.4 Mobile termination rates (MTRs)
  - 8.2.5 Wideband Digital Mobile Data Services (WDMDS)
  - 8.2.6 Network sharing
- 8.3 Mobile technologies
  - 8.3.1 Digital
  - 8.3.2 Third Generation (3G) mobile
- 8.4 Major mobile operators
  - 8.4.1 Vodafone Ireland
  - 8.4.2 O2 Ireland
  - 8.4.3 Meteor Mobile
  - 8.4.4 3 Ireland
  - 8.4.5 MVNOs
- 8.5 Mobile voice services
  - 8.5.1 Prepaid
- 8.6 Mobile Messaging
  - 8.6.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
  - 8.6.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
- 8.7 Mobile data services
  - 8.7.1 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
  - 8.7.2 High-Speed Circuit-Switched Data (HSCSD)
  - 8.7.3 Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE)
  - 8.7.4 High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA)
  - 8.7.5 Enhanced High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+)
  - 8.7.6 Long-term Evolution (LTE)
- 8.8 Mobile applications
  - 8.8.1 Overview
  - 8.8.2 Mobile TV
  - 8.8.3 Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
9. Forecasts
- 9.1 Forecasts – broadband subscribers – 2009 - 2012; 2020
  - 9.1.1 Scenario 1 – higher broadband subscriber growth
  - 9.1.2 Scenario 2 – lower broadband subscriber growth
- 9.2 Forecasts – mobile ARPU – 2009 - 2010; 2015
- 9.3 Forecasts – UMTS subscribers – 2009 - 2010; 2015
- Table 1 – Country statistics – 2013 (e)
- Table 2 – Telecom revenue and investment statistics – 2013 (9M)
- Table 3 – Telephone network statistics – September 2013
- Table 4 – Internet user statistics – 2013 (e)
- Table 5 – Broadband statistics – 2013 (e)
- Table 6 – Mobile statistics – 2013 (e)
- Table 7 – National telecommunications authority
- Table 8 – Market revenue annual change by fixed, mobile and broadcasting sectors – 2010 - 2013
- Table 9 – Market revenue by fixed, mobile and broadcasting sectors – 2010 - 2014
- Table 10 – Market revenue share by fixed, mobile and broadcasting sectors – 2002 - 2013
- Table 11 – Unbundled loops and access lines – 2005 - 2013
- Table 12 – Annual ported fixed-line numbers – 2010 - 2013
- Table 13 – Indirect access lines: CPS and WLR – 2005 - 2013
- Table 14 – Fixed-line and mobile voice traffic in minutes – 2008 - 2013
- Table 15 – Proportion of fixed-line revenue by service – 2004 - 2013
- Table 16 – Fixed-line share of revenue by operator (eircom and altnets) – 2012 - 2013
- Table 17 – Eircom financial data (historic) – 2001 - 2007
- Table 18 – Eircom financial data (year to June) – 2009 - 2012
- Table 19 – Eircom revenue by sector (year to June) – 2009 - 2013
- Table 20 – Eircom subscribers by sector – 2010 - 2013
- Table 21 – BT Ireland broadband subscribers – 2006 - 2009
- Table 22 – BT Ireland revenue – 2008 - 2013
- Table 23 – Smart Telecom financial data (historic) – 2003 - 2005
- Table 24 – Historic - Fixed voice subscriptions in service and teledensity – 1995; 1997; 1999 - 2004
- Table 25 – Fixed voice subscriptions and teledensity – 2005 - 2014
- Table 26 – Broadband penetration by technology – 2006 - 2013
- Table 27 – Dial-up internet subscribers – 2005 - 2014
- Table 28 – Total internet subscribers – 2005 - 2013
- Table 29 – Total fixed-line broadband subscribers by access type – 2002 - 2014
- Table 30 – Total broadband penetration – 2003 - 2014
- Table 31 – Share of broadband subscribers by platform – 2007 - 2013
- Table 32 – Market share of fixed broadband subscriptions by operator – 2010 - 2013
- Table 33 – Broadband access speeds: market share, business and residential – 2012 - 2013
- Table 34 – UPC Ireland subscribers – 2006 - 2013
- Table 35 – UPC Ireland revenue (historic) – 2006 - 2009
- Table 36 – DSL access provision by type and operator – 2002 - 2013
- Table 37 – Eircom retail broadband subscribers – 2010 - 2013
- Table 38 – Mobile broadband subscribers – 2007 - 2013
- Table 39 – Mobile broadband market share by operator – 2010 - 2013
- Table 40 – Wireless broadband subscribers – 2005 - 2014
- Table 41 – Wireless hotspots and access points - 2007 - 2013
- Table 42 – Proportion of bundled services, by type – 2011 - 2013
- Table 43 – Statistical overview of Ireland’s broadcasting market – 2008 - 2013
- Table 44 – Proportion of homes by reception method – 2008 - 2013
- Table 45 – Proportion of pay TV and FTA households – 2003 - 2013
- Table 46 – Proportion of digital and analogue households – 2007 - 2013
- Table 47 – Cable TV subscribers and penetration rate – 2000 – 2011; 2015
- Table 48 – UPC Ireland subscribers – 2006 - 2012
- Table 49 – UPC Ireland revenue (historic) – 2006 - 2009
- Table 50 – Historic - Satellite TV antennae and home penetration – 1992 - 2004
- Table 51 – Satellite TV antennae and home penetration – 2005 - 2011; 2015
- Table 52 – BSkyB satellite TV subscribers – 2003 - 2008
- Table 53 – Operator blended ARPU – 2005 - 2013
- Table 54 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1995; 1997; 1999 - 2004
- Table 55 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2005 - 2014
- Table 56 – Mobile market revenue, voice and data – 2005 - 2013
- Table 57 – Mobile share of subscribers by operator – 2005 - 2013
- Table 58 – Mobile share of revenue by operator – 2005 - 2013
- Table 59 – European voice roaming charges – 2007 - 2014
- Table 60 – European data roaming charges – 2007 - 2014
- Table 61 – Annual mobile numbers ported – 2005 - 2013
- Table 62 – MTRs by operator – 2010 - 2013
- Table 63 – 3G SIM cards in use by type – 2011 - 2013
- Table 64 – Vodafone mobile subscribers – 2006 - 2013
- Table 65 – Vodafone fixed-line subscribers – 2010 - 2013
- Table 66 – Vodafone service revenue – 2010 - 2013
- Table 67 – Vodafone blended ARPU – 2006 - 2008; 2010 - 2011
- Table 68 – O2 mobile financial data – 2007 - 2013
- Table 69 – O2 mobile data statistics – 2007 - 2013
- Table 70 – O2 ARPU, blended, prepaid and contract – 2006 - 2013
- Table 71 – O2 subscribers – 2006 - 2013
- Table 72 – Meteor Mobile subscribers – 2006 - 2013
- Table 73 – Meteor Mobile services revenue – 2006 - 2010; 2012- 2013
- Table 74 – Meteor Mobile ARPU - 2006 - 2013
- Table 75 – 3 Ireland subscribers – 2006 - 2013
- Table 76 – 3 Ireland financial data – 2007 - 2013
- Table 77 – Mobile voice minutes – 2005 - 2014
- Table 78 – Prepaid versus postpaid share of subscribers – 2000 - 2013
- Table 79 – Proportion of prepaid subscribers by operator – 2008 - 2013
- Table 80 – SMS messages sent – 2000 - 2014
- Table 81 – MMS messages sent – 2005 - 2014
- Table 82 – Mobile data as proportion of total revenue – 2006 - 2014
- Table 83 – Forecast fixed-line broadband subscribers – higher market growth scenario– 2009 - 2012; 2020
- Table 84 – Forecast fixed-line broadband penetration – higher market growth scenario– 2009 - 2012; 2020
- Table 85 – Forecast fixed-line broadband subscribers – lower market growth scenario – 2009 - 2012; 2020
- Table 86 – Forecast fixed-line broadband penetration – lower market growth scenario – 2009 - 2012; 2020
- Table 87 – Forecast mobile ARPU – 2005 - 2012; 2015
- Table 88 – Forecast UMTS subscribers – 2006 - 2010; 2015
- Chart 1 – Market revenue share by fixed, mobile and broadcasting sectors – 2002 - 2013
- Chart 2 - Unbundled loops and access lines – 2005 - 2013
- Chart 3 – Fixed-line and mobile voice traffic in minutes – 2008 - 2013
- Chart 4 – Proportion of fixed-line revenue by service – 2004 - 2013
- Chart 5 – Eircom financial data (historic) – 2001 - 2007
- Chart 6 – Fixed voice subscriptions and teledensity – 2005 - 2014
- Chart 7 – Total broadband subscribers by access type – 2002 - 2014
- Chart 8 – Share of broadband subscribers by platform – 2007 - 2013
- Chart 9 – UPC Ireland broadband, phone, cable TV subscribers – 2006 - 2013
- Chart 10 – DSL access provision by type and operator – 2002 - 2013
- Chart 11 – Wireless hotspots and access points – 2007 - 2013
- Chart 12 – TV households by type (cable, satellite, pay) – 2008 - 2013
- Chart 13 – Cable TV subscribers and penetration rate – 2000 - 2011; 2015
- Chart 14 – UPC Ireland cable TV subscribers – 2006 - 2012
- Chart 15 – Satellite TV subscribers and home penetration – 2000 - 2011; 2015
- Chart 16 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2005 - 2014
- Chart 17 – Mobile market revenue, voice and data – 2005 - 2013
- Chart 18 – Mobile share of subscribers by operator – 2006 - 2013
- Chart 19 – Mobile share of revenue by operator – 2006 - 2013
- Chart 20 – O2 mobile financial data – 2007 - 2013
- Chart 21 – O2 ARPU, blended, prepaid and contract – 2006 - 2013
- Chart 22 – O2 subscribers – 2007 - 2013
- Exhibit 1 – EU – The New Regulatory Framework (NRF)
- Exhibit 2 – Access and the local loop
- Exhibit 3 – Overview of digital media
- Exhibit 4 – 3G licence results – June 2002
- Exhibit 5 – Multiband frequency award process - 2012
- Exhibit 6 – WDMDS licences: operators, spectrum and fees – 2005

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