Panama - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 8 Jun 2021 Update History

Report Pages: 151

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Panama increases connectivity via the Aurora and Caribbean Express cables

Panama has seen a steady increase in revenue from the telecom sector in recent years. Mobile services and broadband remain the key growth sectors, with mobile connections accounting for 90% of all connections, and over half of telecom sector revenue.

The mobile sector has flourished since the arrival of Digicel Panamá in 2008 and of América Móvil in 2009, which ended the duopoly long enjoyed by Cable & Wireless Panamá and Telefónica’s Movistar. Millicom International Cellular (trading as Tigo) acquired Telefónica’s telecom assets in Panama in 2019. The mobile market has effective competition among these players.

Internet penetration has grown in recent years as consumers responded to government fixed-line projects, improved mobile broadband connectivity and a plethora of mobile applications.

BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. Since 2020 the telecoms sector, to various degrees, has experienced a downturn in mobile device production. It was also difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G has been postponed or slowed down in some countries.

On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, has offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect will continue to be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth.

Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the pandemic, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report.

The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions.

Key developments

Movistar and Cable Onda rebranded as Tigo;
Panama’s Digital Transformation and Inclusion Strategy Aid Program secures $350 million loan;
Regulator extends temporary spectrum allocations in the AWS band;
Aurora cable system expected to be ready for service at the end-2022;
Caribbean Express submarine cable system launched;
Report update includes the regulator's market data to April 2021, operator data to Q1 2021, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report

América Móvil, Cable and Wireless Panama, Claro, Cable Onda, FP Telecommunications, Google, Optynex Telecom, Digicel, Ericsson, Huawei, Liberty Latin America (LLA), Millicom International Cellular (MIC), Movistar, Ocean Networks, Tigo Panama.

Key statistics
Regional Latin America Market Comparison

Telecom Maturity Index by tier

Top-tier – Market Leaders
Middle-tier – Market Challengers
Bottom-tier – Market Emergents
South America Telecom Maturity Index
Central America Telecom Maturity Index

TMI versus GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed and mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Economic considerations and responses
Subscribers
Infrastructure

Telecommunications market

Historical overview
Market analysis

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authorities

ASEP
ACODECO

Fixed-line developments

Privatisation of INTEL
Telecom sector liberalisation
Interconnect
Number Portability (NP)

Mobile network developments

Spectrum auction – 2008
Licence concession – 2013
700MHz spectrum
AWS spectrum
1.5GHz
Infrastructure sharing
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

Mobile market

Mobile statistics

Mobile data
Mobile broadband

Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
3G
GSM
Towers

Major mobile operators

+Móvil (C&WP)
Movistar (Telefónica Moviles Panama)
Digicel Panamá
Claro Panamá (América Móvil)
Tigo Panama

Fixed-line broadband market

Market analysis

Broadband statistics
Red Nacional de Internet (RNI)

Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
G.fast
Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
WiMAX
Satellite broadband

Digital economy

e-Government
e-Health
e-Payments
Smart Cities

Fixed network operators

Introduction
Cable & Wireless Panamá
Tigo (previously Cable Onda/Telecarrier)

Advanced Communication Network (ACN)

ClaroCOM (Galaxy Communications Corp)
Optynex Telecom
Movistar
Ufinet

Telecommunications infrastructure

National telecom network

Fixed-line statistics

International infrastructure

Interconnection with other Central American countries
Submarine cable networks
Satellite networks

Infrastructure developments

Wireless Local Loop (WLL)

Wholesale

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Panama – 2021 (e)
Table 2 – Development of telecom market revenue and investment ($ million) – 2011 – 2020
Table 3 – Development of telecom market revenue by sector ($ million) – 2011 – 2020
Table 4 – Development of telecom market share by sector – 2013 – 2020
Table 5 – Change in the number of fixed number portings – 2012 – 2021
Table 6 – Change in the number of mobile number portings – 2011 – 2021
Table 7 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Table 8 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers (million) – 2011 – 2020
Table 9 – Change in the proportion of prepaid and contract subscribers – 2011 – 2020
Table 10 – Change in mobile outgoing traffic by type (million minutes) – 2011 – 2020
Table 11 – Change in average fixed and mobile voice traffic per subscriber (minutes) – 2015 – 2020
Table 12 – Decline in SMS traffic – 2011 – 2020
Table 13 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Table 14 – Growth in the number of LTE mobile subscribers – 2017 – 2020
Table 15 – Change in the number of C&W Panama’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Table 16 – Change in the number of C&WP’s prepaid and contract mobile subscribers – 2017 – 2021
Table 17 – Tigo Panama’s mobile subscribers – 2019 – 2021
Table 18 – Tigo Panama’s financial data ($ million) – 2018 – 2021
Table 19 – Growth in the number of internet users and penetration – 2011 – 2020
Table 20 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Table 21 – Change in fixed broadband market share by technology – 2011 – 2020
Table 22 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by platform – 2011 – 2020
Table 23 – Growth in the number of cable broadband subscribers – 2010 – 2020
Table 24 – Change in the number of DSL subscribers (regulator data) – 2010 – 2020
Table 25 – Growth in the number of C&WP’s broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2020
Table 26 – Growth in the number of FttP subscribers – 2011 – 2020
Table 27 – Change in the number of Wi-Fi and WiMAX broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2020
Table 28 – Change in the number of C&W Panama’s mobile, broadband and fixed-line subscribers (thousand) – 2009 – 2021
Table 29 – Development of C&W Panama’s mobile, broadband and fixed-line revenue (old style) ($ million)– 2009 – 2021
Table 30 – Development of C&W Panama’s mobile, broadband and fixed-line revenue (new style) ($ million) – 2017 – 2021
Table 31 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2011 – 2026
Table 32 – Decline in fixed-line call traffic by type (million minutes) – 2011 – 2020
Table 33 – Change in average fixed voice traffic by type, per subscriber – 2015 – 2020
Table 34 – Decline in the number of public telephones – 2011 – 2020
Table 35 – Increase in international bandwidth – 2011 – 2017
Table 36 – Historic - Telecom market revenue ($ million) – 2000 – 2010
Table 37 – Historic - Telecom market revenue by sector ($ million) – 2007 – 2010
Table 38 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1998 – 2010
Table 39 – Historic - Proportion of prepaid and contract subscribers – 1998 – 2010
Table 40 – Historic - Mobile prepaid/postpaid subscribers (thousand) – 2007 – 2010
Table 41 – Historic - Mobile outgoing traffic by type (million minutes) – 2007 – 2010
Table 42 – Historic - C&W Panama – mobile subscribers – 2005 – 2010
Table 43 – Historic - Internet users and user penetration rate – 1997 – 2010
Table 44 – Historic - Broadband subscribers and penetration rates – 1998 – 2010
Table 45 – Historic - Broadband market share by technology – 2000 – 2010
Table 46 – Historic - Broadband subscribers, DSL and cable – 2001 – 2010
Table 47 – Historic - Fixed-line call traffic by type (million minutes) – 2007 – 2010
Table 48 – Historic - C&W Panama mobile, broadband and fixed lines ARPU (US$ / month) – 2007 – 2015
Table 49 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1997 – 2010
Table 50 – Historic - Public telephones – 1998 – 2010
Table 51 – Historic - Decline in SMS traffic – 2007 – 2010
Table 52 – Historic - Growth in the number of C&WP’s broadband subscribers – 2005 – 2010
Table 53 – Historic - Growth in the number of FttP subscribers – 2008 – 2010
Table 54 – Historic - Change in the number of Wi-Fi and WiMAX broadband subscribers – 2008 – 2010
Table 55 – Historic - Growth in international bandwidth – 2008 – 2010

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Latin America – Overall Telecoms Maturity Index
Chart 2 – Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders Category
Chart 3 – Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers Category
Chart 4 – Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents Category
Chart 5 – South America –Telecoms Maturity Index by country
Chart 6 – Central America –Telecoms Maturity Index by country
Chart 7 – Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita
Chart 8 – Latin America mobile subscriber penetration versus mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Latin America fixed broadband penetration versus mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Development of telecom market revenue and investment – 2011 – 2020
Chart 11 – Development of telecom market revenue by sector – 2011 – 2020
Chart 12 – Development of telecom market share by sector – 2013 – 2020
Chart 13 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Chart 14 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers – 2011 – 2020
Chart 15 – Change in the proportion of prepaid and contract subscribers – 2011 – 2020
Chart 16 – Change in mobile outgoing traffic by type – 2011 – 2020
Chart 17 – Change in average fixed and mobile voice traffic per subscriber – 2015 – 2020
Chart 18 – Decline in SMS traffic – 2011 – 2020
Chart 19 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Chart 20 – Change in the number of C&W Panama’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Chart 21 – Change in the number of C&WP’s prepaid and contract mobile subscribers – 2017 – 2021
Chart 22 – Tigo Panama’s financial data ($ million) – 2018 – 2021
Chart 23 – Growth in the number of internet users and penetration – 2011 – 2020
Chart 24 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Chart 25 – Change in fixed broadband market share by technology – 2011 – 2020
Chart 26 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by platform – 2011 – 2020
Chart 27 – Growth in the number of cable broadband subscribers – 2010 – 2020
Chart 28 – Change in the number of DSL subscribers (regulator data) – 2010 – 2020
Chart 29 – Change in the number of Wi-Fi and WiMAX broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2020
Chart 30 – Change in the number of C&W Panama’s mobile, broadband and fixed-line subscribers – 2009 – 2021
Chart 31 – Development of C&W Panama’s mobile, broadband and fixed-line revenue (new style) ($ million) – 2017 – 2021
Chart 32 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2011 – 2026
Chart 33 – Decline in fixed-line call traffic by type – 2011 – 2020
Chart 34 – Change in average fixed voice traffic by type, per subscriber (minutes) – 2015 – 2020

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 2 – South America - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Country
Exhibit 3 – Central America - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Country
Exhibit 4 – Submarine cable network links to Panama in 2021

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Panama - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

USD 750.00

Panama increases connectivity via the Aurora and Caribbean Express cables

Key developments

Companies mentioned in this report

Key statistics

Regional Latin America Market Comparison

Country overview

Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

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

USD 750.00

Share this Report

Purchase with Confidence

Research Methodology

Sample Reports

Research

Hot Topics

News & Views