Bulgaria Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: April 2024

Report Pages: 193

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Bulgaria’s MNOs approach 70% population coverage with 5G

Bulgaria’s telecom market was for some years affected by the difficult macroeconomic climate, as well as by relatively high unemployment and a shrinking population. These factors continue to hobble investment in the sector, though revenue growth has returned since 2019. There still remains pressure on revenue growth, however, with consumers migrating from fixed-line voice telephony to mobile and VoIP alternatives, while the volume of SMS and MMS traffic has been affected by the growing use of alternative OTT messaging services.

The mature mobile market has effective competition between A1 Bulgaria, Yettel (branded as Telenor Bulgaria before March 2022, the Telenor Group’s local unit that had been sold to the PPF Group in August 2018), and the incumbent telco Vivacom. Competition intensified following the implementation of a streamlined mobile number portability process. In addition, customer preference for bundled services has put pressure on pricing and encouraged operators to offer generous voice and data packages. This in turn has impacted on operator revenue.

Vivacom was sold to United Group in April 2020, following European Commission approval. The company is investing in network upgrades and its development of services based on 5G have stimulated other market players to invest in their own service provision. A1 Bulgaria and Vivacom both launched commercial 5G services in 2020, and by the end of 2022 about 70% of the population is expected to be covered by 5G.

The broadband market in Bulgaria enjoys excellent cross-platform competition. The share of the market held by DSL has fallen steadily as a result of customers being migrated to fibre networks, particularly those operated by the incumbent telco Vivacom. By early 2021 about 65% of fixed-line broadband subscribers were on fibre infrastructure.

This report provides an overview of Bulgaria’s fixed-line telecom market, including data on regulatory developments, the strategies of the major operators and an assessment of the evolution of fixed-line networks. The report also reviews the mobile voice and data segments; including a variety of statistics and analyses covering the major operators, market developments and services offered. In addition, the report covers the fixed-line and fixed-wireless broadband sectors, includes an assessment of technologies, the major players, market developments and statistics as well as subscriber forecasts.

Key developments:

Vivacom Bulgaria acquired by United Group, extends 5G services to more than 530 towns;
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband service is made available in Bulgaria;
Telenor Bulgaria is rebranded as Yettel;
Bulgaria joins the U.S. State Department’s Clean Network initiative in a bid to protect its 5G communications networks;
Yettel releases smart monitoring platform for utilities;
Report update includes the regulator’s market data for 2020, telcos’ operating and financial data to Q1 2022, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Vivacom, Orbitel, Vestitel, A1 Bulgaria (MobilTel), Yettel (Telenor Bulgaria), PPF Group, Trans Telecom, Blizoo, Max Telecom, T.com, United Group

Key statistics
Regional Europe Market Comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI versus GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Telecommunications market

Market analysis

Regulatory environment

Historical overview
Regulatory authority
Fixed line development

Telecom sector liberalisation
Privatisation
Interconnect
Access
Number Portability (NP)
Carrier selection/Carrier PreSelection

Mobile network developments

5G
GSM licences
3G licences
800MHz
1800MHz
2.5-2.6GHz
Other spectrum
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Roaming
Mobile Termination Rate (MTR)

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
3G
GSM
Mobile voice
Mobile data
Mobile broadband

Major mobile operators

Vivacom
A1 Bulgaria (MobilTel/M-Tel)
Yettel (Telenor Bulgaria, Cosmo Bulgaria Mobile/GloBul)
Mobile content and applications
Mobile virtual network Operators (MVNOs)

Fixed-line broadband market

Introduction and statistical overview

Broadband statistics

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

World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)
Satellite broadband

Digital economy

E-Entertainment
E-Learning
E-payments
E-government
E-health

Fixed network operators

Introduction
Vivacom/Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC)
A1 Bulgaria

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network
International networks
Smart Grid

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Bulgaria – 2022 (e)
Table 2 – Telecom sector investment – 2013 – 2020
Table 3 – Investment in NGA – 2013 – 2020
Table 4 – Development of in telecom sector revenue, annual change – 2012 – 2020
Table 6 – Proportion of telecom sector revenue by service – 2012 – 2020
Table 7 – Change in the share of fixed-voice revenue by type – 2012 – 2020
Table 8 – Change in the number of fixed number portings – 2012 – 2020
Table 9 – Annual mobile number portings – 2012 – 2020
Table 10 – MTR – 2014 – 2020
Table 11 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 12 – Decline in mobile sector revenue – 2012 – 2020
Table 13 – Change in the proportion of mobile revenue by service – 2012 – 2020
Table 14 – Change in mobile market share of subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2020
Table 15 – Change in mobile market share of revenue by operator – 2012 – 2020
Table 16 – Ratio of prepaid to postpaid subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Table 17 – Mobile base stations in service by technology – 2012 – 2020
Table 18 – Change in the number of A1 Bulgaria’s prepaid subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Table 19 – Growth in the number of LTE subscribers – 2015 – 2020
Table 20 – Drop in SMS traffic – 2012 – 2020
Table 21 – Drop in MMS traffic – 2012 – 2020
Table 22 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 23 – Share of mobile broadband subscribers by operator – 2017 – 2020
Table 24 – Growth in the number of A1 Bulgaria’ mobile broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 25 – Change in the number of Vivacom’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Table 26 – Development of Vivacom’s mobile revenue (BGN million) – 2012 – 2019
Table 27 – Vivacom annualised mobile ARPU (BGN/month) – 2012 – 2019
Table 28 – A1 Bulgaria prepaid, postpaid, and blended monthly ARPU (€ / month) – 2012 – 2021
Table 29 – Change in the number of A1 Bulgaria’s mobile subscriber base (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 30 – Increase in A1 Bulgaria’s Minutes of Use (MoU) – 2012 – 2020
Table 31 – Change in the number of Yettel’s mobile subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 32 – Development of Yettel’s financial data (€ million) – 2017 – 2021
Table 33 – Yettel’s mobile ARPU (€ / month) – 2018 – 2021
Table 34 – Change in the share of fixed-line broadband subscribers by operator – 2017 – 2020
Table 35 – Change in fixed-line broadband market share by access type – 2012 – 2020
Table 36 – Increase in the total internet subscribers (fixed and mobile) and annual change – 2013 – 2020
Table 37 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 38 – Change in the proportion of fixed broadband subscribers by data speed – 2012 – 2020
Table 39 – Growth in total internet (retail and wholesale) revenue – 2012 – 2020
Table 40 – Retail and wholesale internet revenue (BGN million) – 2013 – 2020
Table 41 – Growth in the number of cable broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Table 42 – Decline in the number of DSL subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Table 43 – Growth in the number of Vivacom’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Table 44 – Growth in the number of A1 Bulgaria’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 45 – Increase in the number of Vivacom’s fibre broadband connections and homes passed (thousand) – 2013 – 2020
Table 46 – Growth in the number of FttP subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Table 47 – Development of Vivacom’s financial data (BGN million) – 2012 – 2020
Table 48 – Development of Vivacom’s financial data by sector (BGN million) – 2012 – 2019
Table 49 – Change in the number of Vivacom’s subscribers by sector (million) – 2012 – 2020
Table 50 – Change in the number of Vivacom’s pay TV and IPTV subscribers – 2013 – 2020
Table 51 – Change in A1 Bulgaria’s financial data (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 52 – Growth in the number of A1 Bulgaria’s fixed RGUs – 2012 – 2022
Table 53 – Increase in the number of A1 Bulgaria’s fixed access lines – 2012 – 2021
Table 54 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 55 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2012 – 2020
Table 56 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration – 1995 – 2011
Table 57 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2000 – 2011
Table 58 – Historic - International bandwidth – 2000 – 2011
Table 59 – Historic - Ratio of prepaid to postpaid subscribers – 2002 – 2011
Table 60 – Historic - Total SMS messages sent – 2003 – 2011
Table 61 – Historic - Telenor Bulgaria’s financial data (NOK million) – 2013 – 2018
Table 62 – Historic - Fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2005 – 2011
Table 63– Historic - Change in mobile market share of subscribers by operator – 2006 – 2011
Table 64 – Historic - A1 Bulgaria’s prepaid subscribers – 2004 – 2011
Table 65 – Historic - Total MMS messages sent – 2003 – 2011
Table 66 – Historic - Change in the number of A1 Bulgaria’s mobile subscriber base (million) – 2004 – 2011
Table 67 – Historic - Growth in the number of cable broadband subscribers – 2005 – 2011
Table 68 – Historic - Decline in the number of DSL subscribers – 2005 – 2011
Table 69 – Historic - Development of in telecom sector revenue, annual change – 2006 – 2011
Table 70 – Historic - Change in mobile market share of revenue by operator – 2007 – 2011
Table 71 – Historic - Increase in A1 Bulgaria’s Minutes of Use (MOU) – 2007 – 2011
Table 72 – Historic -Telenor Bulgaria subscribers – 2007 – 2011
Table 73 – Historic - Telecom sector revenue by service (BGN million) – 2008 – 2011
Table 74 – Historic - Change in the number of fixed number portings – 2009 – 2011
Table 75 – Historic - Annual mobile number portings – 2008 – 2011
Table 76 – Historic - Change in mobile market revenue share by service – 2019 – 2011
Table 77 – Historic - Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2009 – 2011
Table 78 – Historic - Growth in the number of A1 Bulgaria’ mobile broadband subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 79 – Historic - A1 Bulgaria prepaid, postpaid, and blended monthly ARPU (€ / month) – 2009 – 2011
Table 80 – Historic - Growth in total internet (retail and wholesale) revenue – 2008 – 2011
Table 81 – Historic - Growth in the number of FttP subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 82 – Historic - Development of Vivacom’s financial data (BGN million) – 2009 – 2011
Table 83 – Historic - Change in A1 Bulgaria’s financial data (€ million) – 2009 – 2011

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 3 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 4 – Europe - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 – Europe – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 – Scandinavia/Baltics fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 – Northern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 – Eastern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Southern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Investment in NGA – 2013 – 2020
Chart 11 – Development of in telecom sector revenue, annual change – 2012 – 2020
Chart 12 – Telecom sector revenue by service – 2012 – 2020
Chart 13 – Proportion of telecom sector revenue by service – 2012 – 2020
Chart 14 – Change in the share of fixed-voice revenue by type – 2012 – 2020
Chart 15 – Change in the number of fixed number portings – 2012 – 2020
Chart 16 – Annual mobile number portings – 2012 – 2020
Chart 17 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 18 – Decline in mobile sector revenue – 2012 – 2020
Chart 19 – Change in the proportion of mobile revenue by service – 2012 – 2020
Chart 20 – Change in mobile market share of subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2020
Chart 21 – Change in mobile market share of revenue by operator – 2012 – 2020
Chart 22 – Ratio of prepaid to postpaid subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Chart 23 – Mobile base stations in service by technology – 2012 – 2020
Chart 24 – Change in the number of A1 Bulgaria’s prepaid subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Chart 25 – Growth in the number of LTE subscribers – 2015 – 2020
Chart 26 – Drop in SMS traffic – 2012 – 2020
Chart 27 – Drop in MMS traffic – 2012 – 2020
Chart 28 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 29 – Growth in the number of A1 Bulgaria’ mobile broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 30 – Change in the number of Vivacom’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Chart 31 – Development of Vivacom’s mobile revenue – 2012 – 2019
Chart 32 – Vivacom annualised mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2019
Chart 33 – A1 Bulgaria prepaid, postpaid, and blended monthly ARPU – 2012 – 2021
Chart 34 – Change in the number of A1 Bulgaria’s mobile subscriber base – 2012 – 2022
Chart 35 – Increase in A1 Bulgaria’s Minutes of Use (MoU) – 2012 – 2020
Chart 36 – Change in the number of Yettel’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 37 – Development of Yettel’s financial data – 2017 – 2021
Chart 38 – Yettel’s mobile ARPU – 2018 – 2021
Chart 39 – Change in the share of fixed-line broadband subscribers by operator – 2017 – 2020
Chart 40 – Change in fixed-line broadband market share by access type – 2012 – 2020
Chart 41 – Increase in the total internet subscribers (fixed and mobile) and annual change – 2013 – 2020
Chart 42 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 43 – Change in the proportion of fixed broadband subscribers by data speed – 2012 – 2020
Chart 44 – Growth in total internet (retail and wholesale) revenue – 2012 – 2020
Chart 45 – Retail and wholesale internet revenue – 2013 – 2020
Chart 46 – Growth in the number of cable broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Chart 47 – Decline in the number of DSL subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Chart 48 – Growth in the number of Vivacom’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Chart 49 – Growth in the number of A1 Bulgaria’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 50 – Increase in the number of Vivacom’s fibre broadband connections and homes passed – 2013 – 2020
Chart 51 – Growth in the number of FttP subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Chart 52 – Development of Vivacom’s financial data – 2012 – 2020
Chart 53 – Development of Vivacom’s financial data by sector – 2012 – 2019
Chart 54 – Change in the number of Vivacom’s subscribers by sector – 2012 – 2020
Chart 55 – Change in the number of Vivacom’s pay TV and IPTV subscribers – 2013 – 2020
Chart 56 – Change in A1 Bulgaria’s financial data – 2012 – 2022
Chart 57 – Growth in the number of A1 Bulgaria’s fixed RGUs – 2012 – 2022
Chart 58 – Increase in the number of A1 Bulgaria’s fixed access lines – 2012 – 2021
Chart 59 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Chart 60 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2012 – 2020

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Europe
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Europe – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Europe – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Europe – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – Access, the local loop and unbundling – an overview

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Bulgaria Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Bulgaria’s MNOs approach 70% population coverage with 5G

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Europe Market Comparison

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Digital economy

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