Australia Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 11 Oct 2023 Update History

Report Status: Current

Report Pages: 261

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Aussie telcos contract with SpaceX for national mobile coverage

The Australian fixed telecom sector continues its steady migration from copper to fibre infrastructure, encouraged by NBN Co having greatly increased the number of premises covered by fibre. At the same time, more premises are able to upgrade from FttN and FttC to FttP, and thus access a 1Gb/s service. In addition, the extension of fixed wireless access will mean that up to 120,000 premises currently dependent on satellite broadband will be able to access 5G-based fixed services.

Penetration in the fixed-line market has been falling steadily over the past few years. A major reason for this is the dominance of the mobile segment and the growth of mobile broadband. The market is predicted to decline further over the next few years as both mobile and mobile broadband penetration continue to increase.

There has been some consolidation in the market through the merger of the key players VHA and TPG, as also a number of acquisitions involving fixed-line suppliers. The second-tier market continues to grow strongly although it has eased off to some degree.

Within the Australian fixed broadband market, there is a dynamic shift among customers to fibre networks. This infrastructure is being built out by NBN Co, the Commonwealth-owned company responsible for deploying the national broadband network, which is based on a multi-technology mix including VDSL, fibre, HFC, fixed wireless, and satellite. The DSL sector is steadily shrinking as customers are migrated to the NBN, while subscribers on HFC infrastructure will continue to be provided by existing cable within the NBN’s multi-technology mix, though also with a steady migration to full fibre connectivity.

The mobile market is dominated by the three MNOs Telstra, Optus, and TPG Telecom. These offer LTE services on a wholesale basis, thus encouraging growth in the LTE sector, while also deploying services based on 5G. Optus and (since mid-2022) Telstra also provide 5G access to their MVNOs.

Key developments:

More than 40% of Telstra’s mobile data traffic is carried via 5G.
Applications close for Round 7 of the Mobile Black Spot Program.
TPG upgrades more than half of its mobile sites to 5G.
Work starts on the 5,000km SMAP section of the national backbone cable system.
TPG extends due diligence negotiations with Vocus Group over the latter’s bid for TPG’s non-mobile assets.
Telstra and Optus contract with SpaceX to provide mobile satellite service via the Starlink constellation, with data services starting from late 2025.
Report update includes operator data to June 2023, ACMA market data updates, recent market developments.

Key companies mentioned in this report:

42-24, AARNET, Aldi Mobile, amaysim, Austar, ACCC, ACMA, Aware Super, Basslink Telecoms, Bechtel, Boost Mobile, BTB Australia, Fibercorp, H2 Cable, Hawaiki Submarine Cable, Hayu, Hulu, iiNet, Indosat Ooredoo, Inmarsat, Kogan, Lebara Mobile, Linfox, LoRa Alliance, M2, Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA), Macquarie Telecom, NBN Co, New Skies Satellite, O3b, Omantel, OneWeb, OPENetworks, OptiComm, OPT-NC, Optus, Ovo Mobile, PCCW, Pivit, Primus, RedTrain, SingTel, Softbank, SpaceX, Spark New Zealand, TasNetworks, Telstra, Thinxtra, TPG Telecom, TransACT, Uniti Group, Unwired, VHA, Viasat, Virgin Mobile, Vocus

Key statistics
Telecommunications market

Market overview and analysis

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authorities
Fixed-line developments

Number portability
Alternative voice services trials program (AVST)
Mobile Black Spot Program
Telecommunications Act 1997 amendments
Standards, rules, and benchmarks related to the country’s statutory infrastructure providers (SIP)

Mobile market developments

Mobile number portability
Spectrum ownership and licences
Fifteen-year spectrum licence pathway
Additional spectrum 5G
Spectrum auctions

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics

Operator market share
Prepaid and postpaid subscribers
Mobile services revenue
Average revenue per user (ARPU)
Mobile voice
Mobile broadband

Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
3G
GSM
Other infrastructure developments

Major mobile operators

Telstra
Optus
TPG Telecom
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)

Mobile handsets

Wearables and smartwatches

Fixed-line broadband market

Market analysis
Fixed broadband statistics
National Broadband Network (NBN)

Overview and statistics
Fixed wireless networks
NBN Co’s satellite network

Fibre networks

Major players

G.fast and XG.fast
HFC networks
DSL
Wi-Fi
Satellite
Fixed broadband service providers

Telstra
Optus
TPG Telecom
Vocus
Macquarie Telecom
Uniti Group Limited (UWL)
HyperOne

Digital economy

Internet of Things (IoT)

Market statistics and surveys

Smart city projects
E-government

Telecommunications infrastructure

National telecom network

SMAP

International infrastructure

Submarine cables
Satellite

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities- Australia – 2023 (e)
Table 2 – Total telecom market retail revenue by service ($ billion) – 2012 – 2020
Table 3 – Total telecoms market - annual growth by service – 2012 – 2020
Table 4 – Total telecoms market - market share by service – 2012 – 2020
Table 5 – Telecom revenue by major provider (A$ billion) – 2014 – 2023
Table 6 – Annual growth in telecom revenue by major provider – 2015 – 2021
Table 7 – Market share of telecom revenue by major provider – 2014 – 2023
Table 8 – Second-tier telcos’ revenue and annual change – 2012 – 2023
Table 9 – Second-tier telcos’ revenue by provider (A$ million) – 2014 – 2021
Table 10 – Fixed numbers ported – 2010 – 2019
Table 11 – Mobile numbers ported – 2010 – 2019
Exhibit 5 – Expiring spectrum allocation timetable 2015
Table 12 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 13 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by operator (million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 14 – Annual change of the number of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2022
Table 15 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Table 16 – Change in the number of prepaid subscribers by operator (million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 17 – MNO market share of prepaid subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 18 – Change in the number of postpaid subscribers by operator (million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 19 – MNO market share of postpaid subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 20 – Change in the number of prepaid and postpaid subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 21 – Change in the proportion of prepaid and postpaid subscribers – 2009 – 2023
Table 22 – Prepaid as proportion of total mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Table 23 – Postpaid as proportion of total mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Table 24 – Total mobile services market revenue and annual change – 2012 – 2027
Table 25 – Mobile market revenue per major operator (A$ billion) – 2012 – 2023
Table 26 – Mobile market revenue market share per major operator – 2012 – 2023
Table 27 – Annual change of mobile market revenue per major operator – 2012 – 2023
Table 28 – Change in Telstra’s mobile ARPU - prepaid, postpaid, mobile broadband (A$/subscriber/month) – 2012 – 2023
Table 29 – Change in Optus’s mobile ARPU (A$/subscriber/month) – 2012 – 2023
Table 30 – Change in Vodafone Australia’s ARPU (A$/subscriber/month) – 2015 – 2019
Table 31 – Development of TPG’s mobile ARPU (A$/subscriber/month) – 2019 – 2023
Table 32 – Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 33 – Wireless broadband subscribers by access type (thousand) – 2012 – 2018
Table 34 – Increase in the number of Telstra’s mobile broadband subscribers (thousand) – 2012 – 2023
Table 35 – Estimated revenue growth for private mobile networks – 2020 – 2027
Table 36 – Mobile broadband subscribers by MNO (million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 37 – Estimated mobile broadband data downloaded in Petabytes – 2012 – 2022
Table 38 – Development of Telstra Group’s financial data (A$ billion) – 2012 – 2023
Table 39 – Development of Telstra’s mobile prepaid and postpaid revenue (A$ million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 40 – Development of Telstra’s mobile revenue by type (A$ billion) – 2012 – 2023
Table 41 – Change in the number of Telstra’s mobile subscribers by type (million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 42 – Development of Optus’s mobile revenue (A$ billion) – 2012 – 2024
Table 43 – Change in the number of Optus’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 44 – Change in the number of Optus’s mobile subscribers by type (million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 45 – Development of Vodafone Australia’s revenue (A$ billion) – 2012 – 2019
Table 46 – Change in the number of Vodafone Australia’s mobile subscribers by type (million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 47 – Change in the number of TPG Telecom’s mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2014 – 2023
Table 48 – Change in the number of TPG Group’s mobile subscribers – 2019 – 2023
Table 49 – Development of TPG Telecom’s mobile revenue by service (A$ billion) – 2019 – 2023
Table 50 – Increase in the number of Belong Mobile’s mobile subscribers – 2018 – 2023
Table 51 – Development of amaysim’s mobile financial data (A$ million) – 2016 – 2021
Table 52 – Change in the number of amaysim’s mobile subscribers – 2014 – 2021
Table 53 – Australian handset platform market share – 2017 – 2020
Table 54 – Fixed broadband retail subscribers by major provider (thousand) – 2012 – 2023
Table 55 – Fixed broadband retail subscriber annual growth by major provider – 2012 – 2022
Table 56 – Fixed broadband retail subscribers market share by major provider – 2012 – 2020
Table 57 – Change in the number of Telstra’s retail and wholesale broadband subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 58 – Fixed broadband subscribers by access type (million) – 2012 – 2020
Table 59 – Fixed broadband subscriber annual growth – 2012 – 2019
Table 60 – Wireless broadband subscribers by access type (thousand) – 2012 – 2021
Table 61 – Wireless broadband subscriber annual growth – 2012 – 2021
Table 62 – Market share of fixed and fixed wireless broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2019
Table 63 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 64 – Internet subscribers by download speed – 2016 – 2018
Table 65 – Volume of data downloaded by access type (TB) – 2013 – 2021
Table 66 – NBN premises activated or ready to connect (thousand) – 2012 – 2023
Table 67 – Development of NBN Co’s revenue – 2013 – 2023
Table 68 – Change in NBN Co’s annualised ARPU – 2013 – 2023
Table 69 – Change in NBN Co’s fibre capex (A$ million) – 2013 – 2020
Table 70 – Change in NBN Co’s HFC, wireless, other capex (A$ million) – 2013 – 2020
Table 71 – Change in NBN Co’s total capex (A$ million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 72 – Growth in the number of NBN Co’s fibre connections by platform (thousand) – 2016 – 2023
Table 73 – Growth in the number of NBN Co’s HFC, wireless, satellite connections (thousand) – 2016 – 2023
Table 74 – Change in the number of NBN Co’s total NBN and DSL connections (million) – 2016 – 2023
Table 75 – Change in the number of NBN connections by provider – 2021 – 2023
Table 76 – Change in the share of NBN Co’s connections by platform – 2016 – 2023
Table 77 – NBN’s FttP connections by operator – 2020 - 2023
Table 78 – NBN’s FttN connections by operator – 2020 - 2023
Table 79 – NBN’s FttC connections by operator – 2020 - 2023
Table 80 – NBN’s FttC connections by operator – 2020 - 2023
Table 81 – NBN’s FttC connections by operator – 2020 - 2023
Table 82 – Market share of NBN’s connections by provider – June 2022
Table 83 – Change in the proportion of data traffic downloads by connection type – 2020 – 2022
Table 84 – NBN’s satellite broadband connections by operator – 2020 - 2023
Table 85 – Growth in the number of FttP subscribers – 2016 – 2023
Table 86 – Growth in the number of FttC subscribers – 2018 – 2023
Table 87 – HFC Roll out plan – 2016 – 2023
Table 88 – Cable broadband subscribers by major operator (thousand) – 2012 – 2020
Table 89 – Change in the number of DSL broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2019
Table 90 – Change in the number of Telstra’s broadband subscribers by type (million) – 2018 – 2023
Table 91 – Change in the number of Optus’s broadband connections by type (thousand) – 2013 – 2023
Table 92 – Development of TPG’s financial data (A$ million) – 2012 – 2019
Table 93 – Development of TPG Group’s financial data (A$ billion) – 2019 – 2023
Table 94 – TPG Group’s revenue by division (A$ million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 95 – TPG Telecom’s revenue by division (A$ million) – 2020 – 2023
Table 96 – TPG’s broadband ARPU (A$ / month) – 2016 – 2023
Table 97 – Change in the number of TPG’s consumer broadband subscribers (thousand) by product – 2019 – 2023
Table 98 – Vocus Australia - consumer broadband subscribers (thousand) – 2018 – 2021
Table 99 – Development of Vocus Group’s financial data (A$ million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 100 – Development of Macquarie Telecom’s financial data (A$ million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 101 – Development of Macquarie Telecom’s revenue by sector (A$ million) – 2020 – 2023
Table 102– Decline in the number of fixed-line subscriptions and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 103 – Historic - Pay TV revenue by major operator ($ million) – 1997 – 2017
Table 104 – Historic - Blended monthly ARPU by MNO ($/subscriber/month) – 2000 – 2010
Table 105 – Historic - Total telecoms market - retail revenue by service ($ million) – 2001 – 2015
Table 106 – Historic - Total telecoms revenues by smaller operators, and total ($ billion) – 2005 – 2013
Table 107 – Historic - Total telecoms revenues by major providers ($ billion) – 2000 – 2011
Table 108 – Historic - Second-tier telcos – revenue by provider – 2010 – 2014
Table 109 – Historic - Second-tier telcos – revenue by provider (historic) – 2004 – 2007
Table 110 – Historic - Total business and residential broadband subscribers (thousand) – 2006 – 2014
Table 111 – Historic - Annual change of mobile subscribers by carrier – 1995 – 2011
Table 112 – Historic - Retail mobile subscriber market share by MNO and MVNO – 2015 – 2016
Table 113 – Historic - Share of prepaid subscribers by MNO and MVNO – 2014 – 2015
Table 114 – Historic - Share of postpaid subscribers by MNO and MVNO – 2014 – 2015
Table 115 – Historic - Total mobile services market revenue and annual change – 1995 – 2010
Table 116 – Historic - Mobile subscribers, penetration, and annual change – 2000 – 2011
Table 117 – Historic - HTA key metrics ($ million) – 2009 – 2015
Table 118 – Historic - Monthly ARPU and by segment ($/subscriber/month) – 2009 – 2012
Table 119 – Historic - Vodafone Australia revenue – 1996 – 2011
Table 120 – Historic - VHA MVNO customers – 2014 – 2016
Table 121 – Historic - Telstra Group’s financial data – 2008 – 2011
Table 122 – Historic - Telstra’s mobile ARPU - prepaid, postpaid, mobile broadband (A$/subscriber/month) – 2009 – 2011
Table 123 – Historic - Optus’s mobile subscribers and annual change – 2009 – 2011
Table 124 – Historic - Retail mobile subscribers share by MNO and MVNO – 2016 – 2017
Table 125 – Historic - Retail mobile subscribers share by MNO and MVNO – 2013 – 2015
Table 126 – Historic – NBN’s revenue by type – 2013 – 2017
Table 127 – Historic - M2’s acquisitions – 2005 – 2015

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Total telecom market retail revenue by service – 2012 – 2020
Chart 2 – Total telecoms market - market share by service – 2012 – 2020
Chart 3 – Telecom revenue by major provider – 2014 – 2023
Chart 4 – Market share of telecom revenue by major provider – 2014 – 2023
Chart 5 – Second-tier telcos’ revenue and annual change – 2012 – 2023
Chart 6 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 7 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Chart 8 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Chart 9 – Change in the number of prepaid subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Chart 10 – MNO market share of prepaid subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 11 – Change in the number of postpaid subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Chart 12 – MNO market share of postpaid subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 13 – Change in the number of prepaid and postpaid subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 14 – Change in the proportion of prepaid and postpaid subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 15 – Total mobile services market revenue and annual change – 2012 – 2027
Chart 16 – Mobile market revenue per major operator – 2012 – 2023
Chart 17 – Mobile market revenue market share per major operator – 2012 – 2023
Chart 18 – Change in Telstra’s mobile ARPU - prepaid, postpaid, mobile broadband – 2012 – 2023
Chart 19 – Change in Optus’s mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2023
Chart 20 – Development of TPG’s mobile ARPU (A$/subscriber/month) – 2019 – 2023
Chart 21 – Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 22 – Mobile broadband subscribers by MNO (million) – 2012 – 2023
Chart 23 – Development of Telstra Group’s financial data – 2012 – 2023
Chart 24 – Development of Telstra’s mobile prepaid and postpaid revenue – 2012 – 2023
Chart 25 – Development of Telstra’s mobile revenue by type – 2012 – 2023
Chart 26 – Change in the number of Telstra’s mobile subscribers by type – 2012 – 2023
Chart 27 – Development of Optus’s mobile revenue – 2012 – 2024
Chart 28 – Change in the number of Optus’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 29 – Change in the number of Optus’s mobile subscribers by type (million) – 2012 – 2023
Chart 30 – Change in the number of Vodafone Australia’s mobile subscribers by type – 2012 – 2023
Chart 31 – Development of TPG Telecom’s mobile revenue by service – 2019 – 2023
Chart 32 – Fixed broadband subscribers by access type – 2012 – 2020
Chart 33 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 34 – NBN premises activated or ready to connect (thousand) – 2012 – 2023
Chart 35 – Development of NBN Co’s revenue – 2013 – 2023
Chart 36 – Change in NBN Co’s fibre capex – 2013 – 2020
Chart 37 – Change in NBN Co’s HFC, wireless, other capex – 2013 – 2020
Chart 38 – Change in NBN Co’s total capex (A$ million) – 2012 – 2023
Chart 39 – Growth in the number of NBN Co’s fibre connections by platform – 2016 – 2023
Chart 40 – Growth in the number of NBN Co’s HFC, wireless, satellite connections – 2016 – 2023
Chart 41 – Change in the number of NBN Co’s total NBN and DSL connections – 2016 – 2023
Chart 42 – Change in the number of NBN connections by provider – 2021 – 2023
Chart 43 – Change in the proportion of data traffic downloads by connection type – 2020 – 2022
Chart 44 – Change in the number of Telstra’s broadband subscribers by type (million) – 2018 – 2023
Chart 45 – Development of TPG Group’s financial data – 2019 – 2023
Chart 46 – TPG Telecom’s revenue by division – 2020 – 2023
Chart 47 – Development of Vocus Group’s financial data – 2012 – 2021
Chart 48 – Development of Macquarie Telecom’s financial data – 2012 – 2022
Chart 49 – Development of Macquarie Telecom’s revenue by sector – 2020 – 2023
Chart 50– Decline in the number of fixed-line subscriptions and teledensity – 2012 – 2027

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Mobile spectrum by operator in capital city and regional area
Exhibit 2 – GSM services by operator
Exhibit 3 – WCDMA services by operator
Exhibit 4 – Ownership of selected frequencies for 2.3GHz and 3.4GHz services
Exhibit 6 – Spectrum charges for spectrum bandwidth licenses
Exhibit 7 – 1.8GHz spectrum auction results – 2016
Exhibit 8 – 700MHz and 2.5GHz auction results - 2013
Exhibit 9 - 1800MHz auction results – February 2016
Exhibit 10 – 3.6GHz spectrum awards - 2018
Exhibit 11 – 26GHz spectrum awards - 2021
Exhibit 12 – Australian MVNOs mobile carriers
Exhibit 13 – iiNet’s acquisitions – 2003 – 2014
Exhibit 14 – Australia region submarine cables
Exhibit 15 – Major submarine cables with landing points in Australia

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Australia Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Aussie telcos contract with SpaceX for national mobile coverage

Key developments:

Key companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Digital economy

Telecommunications infrastructure

Appendix – Historic data

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