Europe (Western) - Telecoms, Mobile & Broadband Overview and Analysis 2006

Synopsis

The European telecom market in 2006 has benefited from strong underlying economic performances in the region generally. It has also been characterised by striking changes in the adoption of emerging technologies, an operator focus on providing triple play and quad play services to customers, and on vigorous regulatory policies at both the regional and national levels. Many of the major players have consolidated their businesses to strengthen their positions in the face of increased competition. The European Union’s New Regulatory Framework (NRF), designed to standardise and liberalise the industry within the EU, has been supplemented by the i2010 initiative and was under a major review at the end of 2006. Broadband adoption has continued to grow sharply, and several European countries head global league tables for broadband penetration. The broadband and mobile sectors were the main drivers of the market, and though mobile data applications such as mobile TV have had a poor reception thus far among consumers, HSDPA and related technologies will further drive mobile data growth and create a realistic alternative to WiMAX. Converging media, based on triple play and fast ADSL or fibre, has also matured in many markets. This report presents data and analysis on the Western European telecom market in 2006, noting the principal developments and scenarios for further growth and movement in 2007 and beyond.