Ecuador Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: December 2023

Report Pages: 171

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Ecuador reduces or eliminates several taxes to improve investment in telecoms

In common with several other mid-sized countries in the region, Ecuador has a small telecom market dominated by the mobile sector. The evolution of the market has been influenced by the poor fixed-line infrastructure, which has stymied the development of fixed-line broadband services. To some extent poor infrastructure has been the result of topographical challenges which have rendered the cost of deploying networks to remote and mountainous areas prohibitive.

Although Ecuador has several fixed-line operators and a large number of ISPs, the state-owned incumbent CNT leads the fixed-line market, and thus also the fixed broadband market. However, CNT’s share of the fixed-line market is dwindling year by year, while its share of fixed internet connections has fallen below 24%.

The mobile sector is shared by América Móvil’s Conecel (trading as Claro), Telefónica’s Otecel (trading as Movistar), and CNT (previously Telecsa/Alegro). As of May 2022, Claro had a 51.6% share of subscribers, while Movistar had a 31.3% share, and CNT had a 17.1% share.

Thus far the MVNO sector has been slow to develop, partly because the incumbent operators also have their low-cost brands and thus there is little business case for new market entrants.

The government is keen to advance universalisation and improve teledensity. To this end, several taxes on telecom services have been eliminated or reduced by half. From 2022, additional revenue previously allocated to the Treasury from these taxes will be earmarked for programs aimed at expanding the reach of internet and mobile services in rural areas of the country.

Unlike most countries in the region, Ecuador lacks a national 5G roadmap. Thus far, the mobile operators have conducted several 5G pilots, but no progress has been made on allocation spectrum for 5G, or on developing strategies to encourage investment in the sector.

Key developments:

Roaming charges between Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru are ended;
Contract is signed to build the 4,500km CSN-1 cable running between Ecuador, Panama, Colombia, and Florida;
CNT selects Nokia to modernise existing LTE infrastructure and install a 5G non standalone (NSA) network;
Reforms are passed amending several taxes on telecom services;
Report update includes the regulator’s market data to May 2022, telcos’ operating data to Q1 2022, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Corporacion Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CNT), Nokia, BT Global Services, BT Group, Liberty Latin America (LLA), Etapa, TVCable (Suratel), Claro (Ecuador Telecom/Telmex), Linkotel, Etapa Telecom, Global Crossing, Grupo Coripar, Starsat, Ministry of Telecoms & Information Society (Mintel), Movistar, PuntoNet, Ecuanet/Megadatos. Easynet, Trans-telco, EmpresaEléctrica Regional Centrosur, Sencinet, Telxius, Tower One Wireless, Transelectric, Telconet

Key statistics
Regional Latin America 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

Historical overview
Market analysis
National Plan for Good Living 2013-2017

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authority
Fixed-line developments

Interconnect
Anti-Monopoly Law of 2011
Telecommunications Law – 2013
Telecommunications Law – 2015
Homologation

Mobile market developments

Mobile licence renewals
SIM card registration
Infrastructure sharing
Roaming
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Quality of Service (QoS) measures
LTE licenses – 2015

Mobile market

Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure

5G
LTE
3G
GSM/CDMA
Other infrastructure
Mobile data
Mobile broadband

Major mobile operators

Claro (Conecel)
Movistar (Otecel)
CNT

Mobile Virtual Network operators (MVNOs)
Mobile content and applications

M-banking
Satellite mobile services

Fixed broadband

National Broadband Plan
Government support
Market analysis
Broadband statistics
Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
Other fixed broadband services

Broadband Powerline (BPL)

Digital economy

Government programs
Emergency services

Fixed network operators

Introduction
CNT
Etapa

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network
International infrastructure

Submarine cable networks
Satellite

Wholesale
Smart infrastructure

Smart grids

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Ecuador – 2022 (e)
Table 2 – Evolution of GDP in Ecuador – 2012 – 2022
Table 3 – Change in the share of fixed-line and mobile connections – 2012 – 2022
Table 4 – Development of telecom revenue – 2011 – 2019
Table 5 – Annual mobile numbers ported – 2012 – 2022
Table 6 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 7 – Change in the proportion of prepaid and postpaid subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 8 – Change in the number of mobile prepaid and postpaid subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 9 – Revenue from mobile telephony services – 2011 – 2019
Table 10 – Change in the proportion of mobile subscribers by technology – 2012 – 2022
Table 11 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by technology (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 12 – Growth in the number of base stations by operator – 2013 – 2022
Table 13 – Growth in the number of LTE subscribers by operator – 2014 – 2022
Table 14 – Growth in the number of LTE base stations by operator – 2013 – 2022
Table 15 – SMS traffic – 2011 – 2019
Table 16 – Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 17 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by operator (million) – 2014 – 2022
Table 18 – Change in the market share of mobile broadband subscribers by operator – 2014 – 2022
Table 19 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2022
Table 20 – Change in the number of Claro Ecuador’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 21 – Development of Claro Ecuador’s financial data ($ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 22 – Development of Claro Ecuador’s revenue by type ($ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 23 – Development of Claro Ecuador’s ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Table 24 – Change in the number of Movistar Ecuador’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 25 – Growth in the number of CNT’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 26 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 27 – Change in the number of fixed and mobile internet subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 28 – Fixed and mobile internet subscriber penetration – 2012 – 2022
Table 29 – Change in the share of fixed internet connections by major operator - 2012 – 2022
Table 30 – Cable broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 31 – DSL subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 32 – FttP subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 33 – Change in the market share of fixed lines in service by operator – 2012 – 2022
Table 34 – Change in the number of CNT’s fixed lines in service – 2012 – 2022
Table 35 – Change in the number of Etapa’s fixed lines in service – 2012 – 2022
Table 36 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 37 – Revenue from fixed telephony services – 2011 – 2018
Table 38 – International bandwidth – 2012 – 2020
Table 39 – Historic - Evolution of GDP in Ecuador – 2000 – 2011
Table 40 – Historic - Fixed and mobile market share - 1997 – 2011
Table 41 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1997 – 2011
Table 42 – Historic - Mobile prepaid/postpaid ratio – 2002 – 2011
Table 43 – Historic - Mobile prepaid and postpaid subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 44 – Historic - Revenue from mobile telephony services – 2006 – 2011
Table 45 – Historic - SMS traffic – 2008 – 2011
Table 46 – Historic - Proportion of mobile subscribers by technology – 2001 – 2011
Table 47 – Historic - Mobile subscribers by technology – 2003 – 2011
Table 48 – Historic - Mobile operators’ market share – 1997 – 2011
Table 49 – Historic - Claro Ecuador mobile subscribers – 1997 – 2011
Table 50 – Historic - Movistar - mobile subscribers – 1997 – 2011
Table 51 – Historic - CNT - mobile subscribers – 2003 – 2011
Table 52 – Historic - Fixed internet users and penetration – 1998 – 2011
Table 53 – Historic - Fixed internet market share of subscribers - major operators – 2008 – 2011
Table 54 – Historic - Cable broadband subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 55 – Historic - DSL subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 56 – Historic - Fixed lines in service - operators’ market share – 2001 – 2011
Table 57 – Historic - CNT - lines in service – 2001 – 2011
Table 58 – Historic - Etapa - lines in service – 2001 – 2011
Table 59 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1997 – 2011
Table 60 – Historic - Revenue from fixed telephony services – 2006 – 2011
Table 61 – Historic - International bandwidth – 2002 – 2011

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 3 – Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 4 – Latin America - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 – Latin America – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 – South America mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 – Central America – mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 – South America – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Central America – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Change in the share of fixed-line and mobile connections – 2012 – 2022
Chart 11 – Development of telecom revenue – 2011 – 2019
Chart 12 – Annual mobile numbers ported – 2012 – 2022
Chart 13 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 14 – Change in the proportion of prepaid and postpaid subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 15 – Change in the number of mobile prepaid and postpaid subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 16 – Revenue from mobile telephony services – 2011 – 2019
Chart 17 – Change in the proportion of mobile subscribers by technology – 2012 – 2022
Chart 18 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by technology – 2012 – 2022
Chart 19 – Growth in the number of base stations by operator – 2013 – 2022
Chart 20 – Growth in the number of LTE subscribers by operator – 2014 – 2022
Chart 21 – Growth in the number of LTE base stations by operator – 2013 – 2022
Chart 22 – SMS traffic – 2011 – 2019
Chart 23 – Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 24 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by operator – 2014 – 2022
Chart 25 – Change in the market share of mobile broadband subscribers by operator – 2014 – 2022
Chart 26 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2022
Chart 27 – Change in the number of Claro Ecuador’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 28 – Development of Claro Ecuador’s financial data – 2012 – 2022
Chart 29 – Development of Claro Ecuador’s revenue by type – 2012 – 2022
Chart 30 – Development of Claro Ecuador’s ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Chart 31 – Change in the number of Movistar Ecuador’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 32 – Growth in the number of CNT’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 33 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 34 – Change in the number of fixed and mobile internet subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 35 – Fixed and mobile internet subscriber penetration – 2012 – 2022
Chart 36 – Change in the share of fixed internet connections by major operator - 2012 – 2022
Chart 37 – Change in the market share of fixed lines in service by operator – 2012 – 2022
Chart 38 – Change in the number of CNT’s fixed lines in service – 2012 – 2022
Chart 39 – Change in the number of Etapa’s fixed lines in service – 2012 – 2022
Chart 40 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Latin America
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Latin America – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Latin America – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Latin America – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – Map of Ecuador
Exhibit 7 – Submarine cable network links to Ecuador in 2021

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Ecuador Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Ecuador reduces or eliminates several taxes to improve investment in telecoms

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Latin America Market Comparison

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed broadband

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