2018 USA - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 27 Apr 2020 Update History

Report Status: Archived

Report Pages: 209

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Publication Overview

This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in the USA’s telecommunications market. The report analyses the fixed-line, mobile and broadband sectors. Subjects include:

Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
Facts, figures and statistics;
Industry and regulatory issues;
Infrastructure developments;
Major Players, Revenues, Subscribers, ARPU, MoU;
Mobile Voice and Data Markets;
Broadband (FttP, DSL, cable, wireless);
Mobile subscribers and ARPU;
Broadband market forecasts;
Government policies affecting the telecoms industry;
Market liberalisation and industry issues;
Telecoms operators – privatisation, IPOs, acquisitions, new licences;
Mobile technologies (GSM; 3G, HSPA, LTE, 5G).

Researcher:- Henry Lancaster
Current publication date:- January 2019 (16th Edition)

Executive Summary

USA remains among leaders for 5G into 2020

Growth in the US mobile subscriber base remains strong, with a penetration rate of about 127%. Declining revenue from voice services is compensated for by high growth in mobile data use, itself supported by upgraded networks based on LTE technologies. Smartphone penetration is also high, which had encouraged mobile data use among subscribers. The major operators, led by AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile US, have partnered with vendors to trial 5G technologies and services and will be expanding their commercial services further into 2019 and into 2020. In addition, operators are working on the potential of NB-IoT, LTE-U and LTE-A technologies, in some respects as complementary technologies supported by 5G.

Major recent developments include the complex reserve auction for spectrum in the 600MHz band, which raised more than $19 billion. Although network operators must wait for spectrum allocations to be concluded, the additional 70MHz made available will go far to supporting mobile broadband in rural areas and improving network capacity.

In addition to the auction of 28GHz spectrum in late 2018 the FCC plans other auctions in 2019 (for spectrum in the 24GHz, 37GHz, 39GHz and 49GHz bands) to increase the amount of spectrum available for 5G.

Given the size of the US broadband market, and the growing demand for data on both fixed and mobile networks, there is continuous pressure for operators to invest in fibre networks, and to push connectivity closer to consumers. In recent years the US has seen increased activity from regional players as well as the major telcos and cablecos. Much of this activity was stimulated by Google Fiber following its investments in a number of markets. Although Google Fiber (now managed through Alphabet’s Access unit) began scaling back its efforts in late 2016, the company’s legacy has been profound. It encouraged the major providers to reduce pricing for their similar offers, stimulated interest among municipal leaders, and highlighted the fact that haphazard and potentially duplicated fibre deployments are no effective substitute for municipally-led wholesale fibre infrastructure accessible to any provider.

Local networks supported by municipal governments have also sprung up despite the lobbying efforts of AT&T and Verizon aimed at preventing local competition. However, for their part AT&T and Verizon have both refocussed efforts on FttP rather than FttN, looking at the benefits of current investments for decades to come. G.fast is also being rolled out, to a lesser degree, in areas where FttP is less feasible, while a growing number of cablecos have also deployed DOCSIS3.1.

There is growing recognition of the importance of a trans-sectoral approach to broadband networks, including the health, education and energy sectors, in order to fully realise the benefits of the nascent digital economy. The FCC’s Eight Fixed Broadband report, published in December 2018, revealed how much still needs to be done to move the US broadband market forward.

This report provides analyses as well as key statistics and forecasts on the US mobile market. It also assesses telcos’ strategies, regulatory policies, and developments in the deployment of emerging technologies. In addition, the report covers the cable, DSL, FttP, Wi-Fi and WiMAX broadband markets, providing market analyses as well as a range of relevant statistics.

BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries.

On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth.

Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report.

The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions.

Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report.

Key developments:

T-Mobile US merger with Sprint concluded;
Sprint signs MVNO deal with Altice USA;
Auction 103 finishes, raising $7.56 billion;
T-Mobile US secures additional 700MHz blocks for $1.3 billion;
Google trials facial recognition m-payment system, launches Project Fi MVNO;
FCC authorises the use of LTE-U devices in the under-utilised 5GHz band;
AT&T launches national LTE-M service;
T-Mobile US secures additional 700MHz blocks for $1.3 billion;
AT&T closes down 2G infrastructure, reassigns spectrum for LTE;
Altice USA to deliver a 10Gb/s service across its footprint by 2022, split off from parent company;
Fiber Broadband Association counts 41 million premises passed with fibre;
AT&T invests $14 billion in LTE and U-verse network;
Maine Fiber Co completes 1,100 mile open network fibre backbone;
Charter Communications launches 1Gb/s DOCSIS3.1 service;
Round 2 auction of the Connect America Fund completed;
Report update includes telcos' operating and financial data to Q4 2019, assessment of the global impact of COVID-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Corporation, T-Mobile US, TracFone, MetroPCS Communications, Leap Wireless, Frontline, Alltel, US Cellular, Clearwire, Google, CenturyLink, Qwest, Frontier Communications, Windstream, Fairpoint, Cincinnati Bell, Comcast, HughesNet, ViaSat, Altice USA

COVID-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Economic considerations and responses
Mobile devices
Subscribers
Infrastructure

Regulatory environment

Public Safety Network
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Spectrum

AWS spectrum
600MHz
800MHz
2GHz
700MHz
1900MHz
3.5GHz
mmWave spectrum

Spectrum swaps and acquisitions

T-Mobile US
AT&T
Verizon

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Mobile voice

Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE)

Mobile data

SMS and MMS

Mobile broadband

Mobile infrastructure

Verizon
US Cellular
AT&T
T-Mobile US
Sprint

4G (LTE)
3G
Other infrastructure developments

Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
NB-IoT

Major mobile operators

Industry body
AT&T

Acquisitions and sale

Verizon Wireless
T-Mobile US

Failed merger with MetroPCS
Interest from Iliad
Interest from Softbank

Sprint Corporation
MVNOs

Google

Mobile content and applications

Mobile music
M-payment
M-commerce

Fixed-line broadband market

Introduction and statistical overview

Market analysis
Broadband statistics

Policy and regulation framework

Network regulation overview
Broadband stimulus package
FCC’s National Broadband Plan
Private networks
Network neutrality

Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks

Cable technologies
Cable operators

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks

Introduction
Verizon
AT&T
Frontier Communications
G.fast developments

Other fixed broadband services

Wi-Fi
WiMAX
Municipal wireless broadband
Other developments
State and municipal deployments
Satellite broadband
PLC

Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP)

Market analysis
Market overview
FttP network rollout

Policy and regulation framework

National Broadband Plan
Gigabit City Challenge

Public (ILEC, CLEC and Municipal) FttP networks

Municipalities
Google Fiber
FCC ruling on municipal fiber networks
Other projects/providers

RBOC FttP roll-out

Verizon
AT&T
CenturyLink
Cincinnati Bell
Comcast
Altice USA

Digital economy

E-entertainment
E-health
E-government
E-education
E-commerce

Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Mobile market revenue, roaming revenue, ARPU – 2010 – 2017
Table 2 – Mobile subscribers and penetration – 2010 – 2020
Table 3 – Mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2018
Table 4 – Mobile data traffic – 2011 – 2017
Table 5 – Mobile data-only devices in use – 2013 – 2017
Table 6 – Messaging traffic (SMS, MMS) – 2005 – 2018
Table 7 – Active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2008 – 2020
Table 8 – LTE mobile broadband coverage broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 - 2016
Table 9 – Verizon Wireless LTE devices on network– 2011 – 2016
Table 10 – M2M connections – 2009 – 2016
Table 11 – Development of AT&T Mobility’s financial data – 2010 – 2019
Table 12 – AT&T wireless subscribers – 2010 – 2019
Table 13 – Verizon wireless financial data by sector – 2010 – 2019
Table 14 – Verizon wireless subscribers – 2010 – 2019
Table 15 – T-Mobile US wireless subscribers – 2010 – 2019
Table 16 – T-Mobile US own-branded subscribers – 2010 – 2019
Table 17 – T-Mobile US ARPU (€, annualised) – 2009 – 2019
Table 18 – T-Mobile US ARPU ($, annualised) – 2012 – 2019
Table 19 – T-Mobile US financial data – 2010 – 2019
Table 20 – Sprint wireless financial data – 2009 – 2019
Table 21 – Sprint subscribers – 2010 – 2018
Table 22 – Sprint blended ARPU – 2011 – 2018
Table 23 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2009 – 2024
Table 24 – Population covered by fixed broadband by data rate – 2012 – 2017
Table 25 – Proportion of population covered by fixed broadband access speed – 2012 – 2017
Table 26 – Proportion of population adopting fixed broadband by access speed – 2013 – 2017
Table 27 – Growth in the number of cable broadband subscribers (Top 10 MSOs) – 2010; 2012 – 2019
Table 28 – Growth in the number of US cable modem subscribers – 2009 – 2020
Table 29 – Change in the number of Altice USA’s RGUs by service – 2016 – 2019
Table 30 – Development of Altice USA’s revenue by service – 2016 – 2019
Table 31 – Development of Altice USA’ financial data – 2016 – 2019
Table 32 – Cablevision financial data – 2016 – 2019
Table 33 – Development of Comcast’s revenue by service– 2012 – 2019
Table 34 – Change in the number of Comcast’s subscriptions by service – 2012 – 2019
Table 35 – Change in the number of Comcast’s bundled services subscriptions – 2014 – 2019
Table 36 – Development of Charter Communications’ financial data – 2015 – 2019
Table 37 – Development of Charter Communications’ residential revenue by service – 2015 – 2019
Table 38 – Change in the number of Charter Communications’ residential RGUs by type – 2015 – 2019
Table 39 – Change in the number of broadband subscribers for major telco providers – 2009 – 2019
Table 40 – Development of Verizon’s wireline (FiOS) operational data – 2010 – 2019
Table 42 – Change in AT&T’s fixed-line operational data – 2011 – 2019
Table 43 – Development of AT&T’s financial data – 2011 – 2019
Table 44 – Development of Frontier Communications’ revenue – 2008 – 2019
Table 45 – Change in the number of Frontier Communications’ customers by sector – 2011 – 2019
Table 46 – Growth in the number of FttP homes passed and connected – 2009 – 2018
Table 47 – AT&T wireline operational data – 2013 – 2019
Table 48 – CenturyLink financial data – 2015 – 2019
Table 49 – Decline in the number of CenturyLink’s subscribers by platform – 2015 – 2019
Table 50 – Growth in Cincinnati Bell’s Fioptics revenue – 2012 - 2019
Table 51 – Change in the number of Cincinnati Bell’s Fioptics subscribers – 2012 – 2019
Table 52 – Historic - Mobile market revenue, roaming revenue, ARPU – 2000 – 2009
Table 53 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration – 2002 – 2009
Table 54 – Historic - AT&T Mobility financial data – 2004 – 2009
Table 55 – Historic - AT&T wireless subscribers – 2002 – 2009
Table 56 – Historic - Verizon wireless subscribers – 2005 – 2009
Table 57 – Historic - T-Mobile US wireless subscribers – 2003 – 2009
Table 58 – Historic - MetroPCS financial data – 2007 – 2012
Table 59 – Historic - MetroPCS subscribers – 2007 – 2012

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Mobile subscribers and penetration – 2010 – 2020
Chart 2 – Active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2008 – 2020
Chart 3 – Development of AT&T Mobility’ financial data – 2010 – 2019
Chart 4 – Verizon wireless financial data by sector– 2010 – 2019
Chart 5 – Verizon wireless subscribers – 2010 – 2019
Chart 6 – T-Mobile US subscribers – 2010 – 2019
Chart 7 – T-Mobile US financial data – 2010 – 2019
Chart 8 – Sprint financial data – 2009 – 2019
Chart 9 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2009 – 2024
Chart 10 – Population adoption of fixed broadband by access speed – 2013 – 2017
Chart 11 – Growth in the number of cable broadband subscribers (Top 10 MSOs) – 2010; 2012 – 2019
Chart 12 – Growth in the number of US cable modem subscribers – 2009 – 2020
Chart 13 – Change in the number of Altice USA’s RGUs by service – 2016 – 2019
Chart 14 – Development of Altice USA’s revenue by service – 2016 – 2019
Chart 15 – Development of Altice USA’ financial data – 2016 – 2019
Chart 16 – Development of Comcast’s revenue by service– 2012 – 2019
Chart 17 – Change in the number of Comcast’s subscriptions by service – 2012 – 2019
Chart 18 – Change in the number of Comcast’s bundled services subscriptions – 2014 – 2019
Chart 19 – Development of Charter Communications’ financial data – 2015 – 2019
Chart 20 – Development of Charter Communications’ residential revenue by service – 2015 – 2019
Chart 21 – Change in the number of Charter Communications’ residential RGUs by type – 2015 – 2019
Chart 22 – Change in the number of broadband subscribers for major telco providers – 2009 – 2019
Chart 23 – Development of Verizon’s wireline (FiOS) operational data – 2010 – 2019
Chart 24 – Change in Verizon’s wireline financial data – 2014 – 2019
Chart 25 – Change in AT&T’s operational data – 2011 – 2019
Chart 26 – Development of AT&T’s financial data – 2011 – 2019
Chart 27 – Development of Frontier Communications’ revenue – 2008 – 2019
Chart 28 – Change in the number of Frontier Communications’ customers by sector – 2011 – 2019
Chart 29 – Growth in the number of FttP homes passed and connected – 2009 – 2018
Chart 30 – Change in the number of Cincinnati Bell’s Fioptics subscribers – 2012 – 2019

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – AWS spectrum auction – January 2015
Exhibit 2 – mmWave spectrum auctions – May/June 2019
Exhibit 3 – mmWave spectrum auction – February 2020

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2018 USA - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

USA remains among leaders for 5G into 2020

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

COVID-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Mobile infrastructure

Major mobile operators

Mobile content and applications

Fixed-line broadband market

Digital economy

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views