Bosni Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: April 2024

Report Pages: 117

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Bosnia-Herzegovina’s MNOs delay 5G launch

The economic prosperity of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) largely rests with the country’s continuing integration with the EU. GDP growth was inconsistent for several years before 2015, since when the economy had grown at above 3% annually. The measures taken to address the spread of Covid-19 in 2020, which affected trade and tourism, led to GDP growth being negative 5.5% in 2020, though the IMF anticipated that growth of 3.5% was possible for 2021. This is predicated on the virus being controlled, and a return to normal economic activity. There nevertheless remain some significant challenges, not least of which is high unemployment which continues to hinder the country’s economic growth potential.

The telecom market has been liberalised and a regulatory framework created based on the EU’s regulatory framework for communications. Although Bosnia-Herzegovina remains an EU candidate country, in July 2017 it applied amended mobile roaming charges to fit in with changes introduced across the Union. Further roaming agreements were made in 2019 with other western Balkan countries

The market is characterised by three zones, each with an incumbent telco. The largest operator BH Telecom is the dominant provider, while Telekom Srpske operates in Republika Srpska and HT Mostar is active in Herzegovina. Together, these three incumbent operators control 99% of the market. All three are subject to specific obligations designed to improve competition.

The fixed-line broadband network is comparatively underdeveloped, with the result that investments made in mobile upgrades by BH Telecom and Telekom Srpske are facilitating broadband connectivity in the country to a greater extent than is common elsewhere in Europe.

Internet services are available through the incumbents and a number of alternative operators. DSL and cable are the main platforms for fixed-line connectivity, while fibre broadband as yet has only a small market presence.

The three MNOs, each affiliated with one of the incumbent fixed-line operators, provide national coverage with 3G, though LTE coverage is only about 89%. Their upgraded networks are helping to support broadband in rural areas where fixed-line infrastructure is insufficient. In addition, mobile data and mobile broadband offers will provide future revenue growth given the limited potential of mobile voice services. Although the MNOs tested LTE services under trial licenses from 2013, commercial launches were delayed until the award of spectrum in early 2019. The regulator stipulated that licensees must provide national coverage within five years. Trials of 5G technology have been undertaken, though there are no plans to launch services commercially in the short term, given that the MNOs can continue to exploit the capacity of their existing LTE networks.

BuddeComm notes that the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on the telecoms market. 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, has offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect has been a reduced (and sometimes negative) subscriber growth, which will continue into 2021.

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.

Key developments:

BH Telecom trials 5G though commercial launch awaits market maturity;
Telekom Srpske completes acquisition of Elta-Kabel;
Regulator signs cross-border spectrum coordination agreements with Serbia, Montenegro, and Northern Macedonia;
International roaming among Balkan countries to end by July 2021;
Regulator renews mobile licenses for the MNOs;
Report update included the regulator's market data to December 2019, telcos' operating and financial data to Q2 2020, Telecom maturity Index charts and analyse, assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

BH Telecom, HT Mostar, Telekom Sprske, LogoSoft

Key statistics
Regional European Market Comparison

Europe Telecom Maturity Index by tier

Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents

TMI versus GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Economic considerations and responses
Subscribers
Infrastructure

Telecommunications market
Regulatory environment

Historical overview
Telecom sector liberalisation
Regulatory authority
Fixed-line developments

Interconnection
Access
Number Portability (NP)
Carrier Selection/Carrier Preselection
Privatisation

Mobile network developments

National licences
Roaming
3G mobile licenses
Spectrum auctions
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Mobile data services

SMS/MMS

Mobile broadband
Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
3G

Major mobile operators

BH Mobile
Mobilna Srpske (m:tel)
HT Mobile (Eronet)

Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)
Mobile content and applications

Fixed-line broadband market

Market analysis
Broadband statistics
Fixed-line broadband technologies

Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
Other fixed broadband services

Fixed network operators

Introduction
BH Telecom
HT Mostar
Telekom Srpske

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities – Bosnia-Herzegovina – 2021 (e)
Table 2 – Telecoms revenue by sector (BAM million) –2011 - 2019
Table 3 – Proportion of telecoms revenue by sector – 2011 – 2019
Table 4 – Accumulated fixed number portings – 2011 - 2019
Table 5 – Direct access, CS and CPS subscribers – 2011 – 2019
Table 6 – License fees paid by operators – 2014 - 2018
Table 7 – Annual mobile number portings – 2013 - 2019
Table 8 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract cards (thousand) – 2011 – 2019
Table 9 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Table 10 – Mobile subscriber market share by operator –2009 – 2019
Table 11 – Total SMS and MMS messages sent (million) – 2009 – 2019
Table 12 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Table 13 – BH Mobile base stations and population coverage – 2014 – 2019
Table 14 – Change in the number of BH Mobile’s mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2012 – 2019
Table 15 – M:tel base stations and population coverage – 2014 – 2019
Table 16 – Change in the number of m:tel’s mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2011 – 2019
Table 17 – MH Mobile base stations and population coverage – 2014 – 2019
Table 18 – Change in the number of HT Mobile’s mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2012 – 2019
Table 19 – MVNO subscribers by operator – 2013 – 2019
Table 20 – Licensed ISPs in Bosnia – 2011 – 2019
Table 21 – Dial-up internet subscribers – 2011 – 2019
Table 22 – Internet users and penetration – 2011 – 2019
Table 23 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration rate – 2011 – 2026
Table 24 – Change in the number of broadband subscribers by platform (thousand) – 2011 – 2019
Table 25 – Broadband share of subscribers by platform – 2011 – 2019
Table 26 – Fixed-line broadband connections by data rate – 2017 – 2019
Table 27 – Market share of fixed-line broadband subscribers by data rate – 2011 – 2019
Table 28 – Telekom Srpske broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2019
Table 29 – Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers – 2010 – 2019
Table 30 – Fixed-telephony subscriber market share by operator – 2011 – 2019
Table 31 – Change in the number of fixed-lines by operator (thousand) – 2011 – 2019
Table 32 – Development of Telekom Srpske’s financial data (BAM million) – 2010 – 2020
Table 33 – Telekom Srpske domestic revenue by service (BAM million) – 2010 – 2020
Table 34 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2011 – 2026
Table 35 – Change in fixed-line traffic by type (incumbent telcos, million minutes) – 2014 – 2019
Table 36 – International internet bandwidth – 2007 – 2017
Table 37 – Historic – Telecoms revenue by sector (BAM million) – 2005 – 2010
Table 38 – Historic – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2005 – 2010
Table 39 – Historic – Broadband subscribers by platform (thousand) – 2007 – 2010
Table 40 – Historic – Broadband share of subscribers by platform – 2009 – 2010
Table 41 – Historic – Dial-up internet subscribers – 2007 – 2010
Table 42 – Historic – Prepaid and contract cards in service (thousand) – 2005 – 2010
Table 43 – Historic – Fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration rate – 2009 – 2010
Table 44 – Historic – Direct access, CS and CPS subscribers – 2008 – 2010
Table 45 – Historic – M:tel mobile subscribers – 2008 – 2010
Table 46 – Historic – Fixed-line voice lines by operator – 2005 – 2010
Table 47 – Historic - - Mobile subscribers and penetration – 2009 – 2010
Table 48 – Historic - Active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2009 – 2010

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders (top tier)
Chart 2 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers (middle tier)
Chart 3 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents (bottom tier)
Chart 4 – Overall view - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita
Chart 5 – Europe - mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 – Scandinavia and Baltics – mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 – Northern Europe – mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 – Southern Europe mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Eastern Europe mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Scandinavia and Baltics fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 11 – Northern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 12 – Southern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 13 – Eastern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 14 – Telecoms revenue by sector–2011 – 2019
Chart 15 – Proportion of telecoms revenue by sector – 2011 – 2019
Chart 16 – Direct access, CS and CPS subscribers – 2011 – 2019
Chart 17 – Annual mobile number portings – 2013 - 2019
Chart 18 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract cards (thousand) – 2011 – 2019
Chart 19 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Chart 20 – Mobile subscriber market share by operator –2009 – 2019
Chart 21 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Chart 22 – Change in the number of BH Mobile’s mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2012 – 2019
Chart 23 – Change in the number of m:tel’s mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2011 – 2019
Chart 24 – Change in the number of HT Mobile’s mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2012 – 2019
Chart 25 – Internet users and penetration – 2011 – 2019
Chart 26 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration rate – 2011 – 2026
Chart 27 – Change in the number of broadband subscribers by platform (thousand) – 2011 – 2019
Chart 28 – Broadband share of subscribers by platform – 2011 – 2019
Chart 29 – Fixed-line broadband connections by data rate – 2017 – 2019
Chart 30 – Market share of fixed-line broadband subscribers by data rate – 2011 – 2019
Chart 31 – Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers – 2010 – 2019
Chart 32 – Fixed-telephony subscriber market share by operator – 2011 – 2019
Chart 33 – Change in the number of fixed-lines by operator (thousand) – 2011 – 2019
Chart 34 – Development of Telekom Srpske’s financial data (BAM million) – 2010 – 2020
Chart 35 – Telekom Srpske domestic revenue by service – 2010 – 2020
Chart 36 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2011 – 2026
Chart 37 – Change in fixed-line traffic by type (incumbent telcos, million minutes) – 2014 – 2019

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 2 – Access, the local loop and unbundling – an overview

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Bosni Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Bosnia-Herzegovina’s MNOs delay 5G launch

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional European Market Comparison

Country overview

Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network operators

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