Mozambique - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Executive summary

Mozambique progresses with plans to merge TdM with mCel

Although delayed by the long civil war which ended in 1992, Mozambique was one of the first countries in the region to embark upon telecom reform. As a result, some sectors have been opened to competition. The mobile segment in particular has shown strong growth since the introduction of competition in 2003 between Vodacom Mozambique and mCel, the incumbent mobile subsidiary of the national telco Telecomunicações de Moçambique (TdM). Mobile penetration remains far below the average for the region. Given that the country has relatively low fixed-line penetration there is considerable room for further growth in coming years. This has been stimulated by the launch of commercial services from the third operator Movitel, which is backed by Vietnam’s Viettel.

In recent years the government has drafted legislation aimed at enforcing the registration of SIM cards. At the end of 2016 almost five million unregistered SIM cards were deactivated. Measures aimed at sharing network infrastructure have helped reduce operational and investment costs, and enabled players to provide converged voice, data and TV services over single networks.

The poor fixed-line infrastructure has largely held back the market for fixed-line internet services, and as a result mobile internet accounts for most connections. The high cost of international bandwidth had long hampered internet use, though the landing of two international submarine cables (SEACOM and EASSy) has reduced the cost of bandwidth and so led to drastic reductions in broadband retail prices.

There is some cross-platform competition, with DSL, cable broadband, WiMAX, 3G and limited fibre broadband available. Further improvements can be expected from the ongoing rollout of a national fibre backbone networks by TdM and the mobile operators.

Key developments:

Regulator imposes MTR cuts through to 2020;
Almost five million unregistered SIM cards deactivated;
Government proceeds with plan to merge struggling TdM with mCel;
TdM contracts Intelsat for satellite broadband and backhaul services;
Liquid Sea and Africa-1 submarine cable systems to improve bandwidth into 2018;
Mozambique joins the Alliance for Affordable Internet, aiming to provide broadband at less than 5% of average monthly income;
Report update includes the regulator’s market data for 2016, operator data updates to Q4 2017, ITU market data updates, Telecom Maturity Index tables, charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Telecomunicações De Moçambique (TdM); Vodacom Mozambique; mCel (TdM); Movitel (Viettel); Teledata (TdM); TV Cabo; Intra; Tropical Web, SEACOM.

1. Executive summary
2. Key statistics
3. Country overview
4. Telecommunications market
- 4.1 Market analysis
5. Regional African Market Comparison
- 5.1 Mobile and mobile broadband
- 5.2 Fixed and mobile broadband
- 5.3 TMI vs GDP
6. Regulatory environment
- 6.1 Telecommunications Law 1992
- 6.2 Basic Telecommunications Act 2004
- 6.3 Amended Telecommunications Act 2016
- 6.4 Regulatory authority
- 6.5 National Commission on Information
- 6.6 Telecom sector liberalisation
- 6.7 Privatisation
- 6.8 Interconnection
- 6.9 Universal service
- 6.10 Spectrum monitoring
7. Fixed network operator
8. Telecommunications infrastructure
- 8.1 Overview of the national telecom network
- 8.2 National fibre backbone
- 8.3 Data centres
- 8.4 International infrastructure
  - 8.4.1 Satellite
  - 8.4.2 Terrestrial microwave and fibre
  - 8.4.3 Submarine fibre
9. Fixed-line broadband market
- 9.1 Introduction and statistical overview
- 9.2 Broadband statistics
- 9.3 Public internet access locations
- 9.4 Mozambique Internet Exchange Point (MOZ-IX)
- 9.5 Fixed-line broadband technologies
  - 9.5.1 Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
  - 9.5.2 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
  - 9.5.3 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
  - 9.5.4 Fixed wireless (Wi-Fi and WiMAX)
10. Digital economy
- 10.1 E-government
- 10.2 e-learning
11. Mobile market
- 11.1 Market analysis
- 11.2 Mobile statistics
  - 11.2.1 General statistics
- 11.3 Mobile broadband
- 11.4 Forecasts – mobile subscribers – 2018; 2020; 2022
- 11.5 Regulatory issues
  - 11.5.1 Third mobile licence
  - 11.5.2 Spectrum auction
  - 11.5.3 Roaming
  - 11.5.4 SIM card registration
- 11.6 Mobile infrastructure
  - 11.6.1 Digital networks
- 11.7 Major mobile operators
  - 11.7.1 mCel
  - 11.7.2 Vodacom Mozambique
  - 11.7.3 Movitel
- 11.8 Mobile content and applications
  - 11.8.1 m-money
12. Related reports

Table 1 – Country statistics – Mozambique – 2017 (e)
Table 2 – Fixed-line network statistics – 2017 (e)
Table 3 – Internet provider statistics – 2017
Table 4 – Internet and social media user statistics – 2017 (e)
Table 5 – Mobile statistics – 2017 (e)
Table 6 – National telecommunications authority
Table 7 – Telecom market investment by operator – 2008 - 2015
Table 8 – Telecom market revenue by sector – 2004 - 2015
Table 9 – Historic - TdM financial results – 2006 - 2011
Table 10 – TdM fixed lines – 2015 - 2016
Table 11 – Mobile on-net and fixed-line national voice traffic – 2009 - 2015
Table 12 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1995 - 2009
Table 13 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2010 - 2018
Table 14 – International bandwidth – 2001 - 2016
Table 15 – Historic - Internet users and penetration rate – 1996 – 2009
Table 16 – Internet users and penetration rate – 2010 – 2018
Table 17 – Fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2007 - 2018
Table 18 – Cable broadband subscribers – 2011 -2017
Table 19 – DSL broadband subscribers – 2006 - 2017
Table 20 – Mobile market revenue – 2012 - 2016
Table 21 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1997 - 2009
Table 22 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2010 - 2018
Table 23 – Active mobile broadband subscribers – 2010 - 2018
Table 24 – Forecast – mobile subscribers – 2018; 2020; 2022
Table 25 – 2G mobile base stations by operator – 2015 - 2016
Table 26 – 3G mobile base stations by operator – 2015 - 2016
Table 27 – mCel mobile subscribers – 2012 - 2017
Table 28 – Historical - Vodacom Mozambique financial results (ZAR) – 2007 - 2010
Table 29 – Vodacom Mozambique financial data (MZM) – 2016 - 2018
Table 30 – Vodacom Mozambique subscribers – 2008 - 2017
Table 31 – Vodacom Mozambique data subscribers – 2013 - 2017
Table 32 – Vodacom Mozambique ARPU – 2008 - 2017
Table 33 – Movitel mobile subscribers – 2012 - 2017

Chart 1 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders (top tier)
Chart 2 – East Africa –Telecoms Maturity Index by country
Chart 3 – East Africa mobile subscriber penetration versus mobile broadband penetration
Chart 4 – East Africa fixed and mobile penetration rates
Chart 5 – Overall Africa view - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita
Chart 6 – East Africa - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita
Chart 7 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2005 – 2018
Chart 8 – Internet users and penetration rate – 2005 – 2018
Chart 9 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2005 - 2018

Exhibit 1 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 2 – East Africa - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Country

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Focus Report Profile

Technologies

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

Number of pages 43

Status Current

Last updated 8 May 2018
Update History

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Paul, Many thanks for your inputs yesterday. You provided a compelling different perspective to our traditional infrastructure focus and this is valuable for our future planning. I also had very favourable feedback from our participants on your involvement.

Stephen Negus, Aurecon