Ecuador - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Executive summary

Telefónica consider selling out of Ecuador

In common with a number of other mid-sized countries in the region, Ecuador has a small telecom market with a dominant mobile sector. The evolution of the market has been influenced by the poor fixed-line infrastructure, which has stymied the development o 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 n remote and mountainous areas prohibitive. However, there has also been a legacy of underinvestment in telecoms infrastructure as a whole.

Although Ecuador has seven fixed-line operators and a large number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the state-owned incumbent CNT dominates the fixed-line market, and thus also the DSL broadband market.

The mobile sector is dominated by América Móvil’s Conecel (trading as Claro), which had a 56% share of the market by subscribers as of February 2018. Telefónica’s Otecel (trading as Movistar) has about a third of the market, leaving CNT (previously Telecsa/Alegro) with a share of only 12%. 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. Virgin Mobile is expected to launch a service in Ecuador, following on from similar launches in Mexico, Chile and Colombia.

The government is keen to advance universalisation and improve teledensity, and it is expected that CNT will continue its efforts to expand the country’s fixed-line infrastructure and capitalise on its DSL service, which only took off in 2009. At the same time, a national broadband plan has been implemented to expand and improve internet access for all Ecuadoreans. The fixed broadband market – including DSL, cable modem and fibre-based services – should continue to grow strongly in coming years, with an anticipated focus on fibre as networks are built out from the more densely populated urban areas. The mobile broadband market is also expected to grow strongly as network operators expand the reach of their LTE services.

A new Telecom Law has been the subject of national and international controversy, particularly for its treatment of broadcasting. The most controversial points include the redistribution of spectrum and the creation of a regulatory authority in charge of censorship.

Key developments:

Movistar extends LTE service, launches VoLTE; Tribemobile Ecuador Tribemosa launches as an MVNO; Telefónica Group considers sale of part of it Latin American units; CenturyLink opens 585km fibre cable linking to Colombia; Arcotel assumes role as integrated telecom sector regulator; CNT expands reach of 1Gb/s fibre network; government promotes its National Plan for Good Living for socio-economic development; ASO completion delayed to mid-2018; report update includes the regulator’s market data to February 2018, telcos’ operating data, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

CNT, Etapa, TVCable (Suratel), Claro (Ecuador Telecom/Telmex), Linkotel, Etapa Telecom, Global Crossing, Grupo Coripar, Starsat, Movistar, PuntoNet, Ecuanet/Megadatos. Easynet, Trans-telco, Empresa Eléctrica Regional Centrosur, Transelectric, Telconet, TVCable, Univisa.

Table of Contents

1. Executive summary
2. Key statistics
3. Country overview
4. Telecommunications market
- 4.1 Historical overview
- 4.2 Market analysis
- 4.3 National Plan for Good Living 2013-2017
5. Regulatory environment
- 5.1 Historical overview
- 5.2 Regulatory authority
- 5.3 Interconnect
- 5.4 Anti-Monopoly Law of 2011
- 5.5 Telecommunications Law - 2013
- 5.6 Telecommunications Law – 2015
6. Fixed network operators
- 6.1 Introduction
- 6.2 CNT
- 6.3 Etapa
7. Telecommunications infrastructure
- 7.1 Overview of the national telecom network
  - 7.1.1 Fixed-line statistics
- 7.2 International infrastructure
8. Wholesale
9. Smart infrastructure
- 9.1 Smart grids
10. Fixed broadband
- 10.1 Introduction and statistical overview
- 10.2 National Broadband Plan
- 10.3 Government support
- 10.4 Market analysis
- 10.5 Broadband statistics
- 10.6 Forecasts – fixed broadband subscribers – 2019; 2021; 2023
- 10.7 Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
- 10.8 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
- 10.9 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
- 10.10 Other fixed broadband services
  - 10.10.1 Broadband Powerline (BPL)
11. Mobile communications
- 11.1 Market analysis
- 11.2 Mobile statistics
  - 11.2.1 General statistics
  - 11.2.2 Mobile voice
  - 11.2.3 Mobile data
  - 11.2.4 Mobile broadband
- 11.3 Forecasts – mobile subscribers – 2019; 2021; 2023
- 11.4 Regulatory issues
  - 11.4.1 Mobile licence renewals
  - 11.4.2 SIM card registration
  - 11.4.3 Infrastructure sharing
  - 11.4.4 Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
  - 11.4.5 Quality of Service (QoS) measures
  - 11.4.6 LTE licenses – 2015
- 11.5 Mobile infrastructure
  - 11.5.1 Digital networks
  - 11.5.2 3G
  - 11.5.3 LTE
- 11.6 Major mobile operators
  - 11.6.1 Claro (Conecel)
  - 11.6.2 Movistar (Otecel)
  - 11.6.3 CNT
- 11.7 Mobile Virtual Network operators (MVNOs)
- 11.8 Mobile content and applications
  - 11.8.1 M-banking
  - 11.8.2 Satellite mobile services
12. Related reports

Table 1 – Country statistics Ecuador – 2017
Table 2 – Telephone network statistics – 2018 (Feb)
Table 3 – Internet user statistics – 2017 (e)
Table 4 – Fixed broadband statistics – 2017
Table 5 – Mobile statistics – 2018 (Feb)
Table 6 – National telecommunications authorities
Table 7 – Evolution of GDP in Ecuador – 2000 - 2017
Table 8 – Historic - Fixed and mobile market share - 1997 - 2009
Table 9 – Fixed and mobile market share - 2010 - 2017
Table 10 – Revenue from telecom services – 2011 - 2018
Table 11 – Fixed lines in service – operators’ market share – 2001 - 2018
Table 12 – CNT – lines in service – 2001 - 2018
Table 13 – Etapa – lines in service – 2001 - 2018
Table 14 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1997 - 2009
Table 15 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2010 - 2018
Table 16 – Revenue from fixed telephony services – 2006 - 2018
Table 17 – International bandwidth – 2002 - 2016
Table 18 – Registered ISPs – 2002 - 2015
Table 19 – Historic – Fixed internet users and penetration – 1998 - 2009
Table 20 – Fixed internet users and penetration – 2010 - 2018
Table 21 – Fixed broadband subscribers and penetration rates - 2001 - 2018
Table 22 – Fixed internet market share of subscribers – major operators - 2008 - 2018
Table 23 – Forecast broadband subscribers – 2019; 2021; 2023
Table 24 – Cable broadband subscribers – 2008 - 2017
Table 25 – DSL subscribers – 2008 - 2017
Table 26 – FttP subscribers – 2008 - 2017
Table 27 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1997 - 2009
Table 28 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2010 - 2018
Table 29 – Mobile prepaid/postpaid ratio – 2002 - 2018
Table 30 – Mobile prepaid and postpaid subscribers – 2008 - 2018
Table 31 – Revenue from mobile telephony services – 2006 - 2018
Table 32 – SMS traffic – 2008 - 2017
Table 33 – Mobile broadband subscribers – 2009 - 2018
Table 34 – Mobile broadband subscribers by operator - 2014 - 2018
Table 35 – Mobile broadband market share of subscribers by operator - 2014 - 2018
Table 36 – Forecast mobile subscribers – 2019; 2021; 2023
Table 37 – Base stations by operator - 2013 – 2017
Table 38 – Annual mobile numbers ported - 2009 - 2018
Table 39 – Proportion of mobile subscribers by technology – 2001 - 2017
Table 40 – GSM subscribers – 2003 - 2018
Table 41 – 3G subscribers – 2008 - 2018
Table 42 – HSPA+ subscribers – 2012 - 2018
Table 43 – LTE subscribers – 2014 - 2018
Table 44 – LTE subscribers by operator– 2014 - 2018
Table 45 – LTE Base stations by operator - 2013 – 2017
Table 46 – Historic - Mobile operators’ market share – 1997 - 2009
Table 47 – Mobile operators’ market share of subscribers – 2005 - 2018
Table 48 – Historic - Claro – mobile subscribers – 1997 - 2009
Table 49 – Claro – mobile subscribers – 2010 - 2018
Table 50 – Historic - Movistar – mobile subscribers – 1997 - 2009
Table 51 – Movistar – mobile subscribers – 2010 - 2018
Table 52 – CNT – mobile subscribers – 2003 - 2018

Chart 1 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2005 – 2018
Chart 2 – Internet users and user penetration rate – 2005 – 2018
Chart 3 – Fixed broadband subscribers and penetration rates - 2001 – 2018
Chart 4 – Mobile market evolution at a glance – 2005 - 2018
Chart 5 – Proportion of mobile subscribers by technology – 2012 – 2017
Chart 6 – Mobile operators’ market share – 2010 – 2018

Exhibit 1 – Map of Ecuador

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Focus Report Profile

Technologies

Broadband Fixed
Broadcasting
Companies (Major Players)
Internet
Mobile & Wireless Broadband and Media
Mobile Communications (voice and infrastructure)
Regulations & Government Policies
Smart Infrastructure
Strategies & Analyses (Industry & Markets)
Telecoms Infrastructure

Number of pages 45

Status Current

Last updated 26 Apr 2018
Update History

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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