Philippines Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: December 2023

Report Pages: 149

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

MNOs in the Philippines expand 5G network reach

The major telcos in the Philippines saw a strong recovery in their financials in 2022, following a difficult though brief period of economic disruption during the pandemic. Globe Telecom reported a record high service revenue in 2022, supported by strong data revenue which accounted for 81% of the total. Mobile revenue was the second highest yet recorded by the company. Consolidated EBITDA increased 6% in the year, also reaching a record level. For its part, PLDT also had a very strong year in 2022, producing record revenue results. Revenue increased 4%, year-on-year, and EBITDA also increased 4%.

PLDT and Globe Telecom have maintained their dominance of the Philippines telecom market, despite having their duopoly status having been removed by the government in 2017. Two new entrants – DITO Telecommunity and NOW Telecom – have since become the third and fourth operators, but delays in their respective launch programs has resulted in them having only a minimal impact on market share. Nevertheless, DITO reported having 15 million subscribers at the end of 2022, showing strong growth since the launch of services.

The government remains keen, and committed, to seeing strong competition, growth, and service excellence in the telecom sector, so there is likely to be continued support (financially as well as through legislation such as enabling mobile tower sharing and number portability) to ensure that the sector remains viable for emerging players.

The mobile sector will remain the Philippines’ primary market for telecommunications well into the future. The unique terrain and resulting challenges associated with accessing remote parts of the archipelago means that in many areas fixed networks are neither cost-effective nor logistically viable. Both PLDT and Globe Telecom continue to roll out fixed networks in some urban areas where it remains feasible to do so (primarily to support fixed broadband or — in Globe Telecom’s case — fixed wireless services). However, the bulk of telecoms investment over the coming years will continue to be in 5G and 5G-enabled LTE networks. Coverage of LTE and 5G networks extends to over 95% of the population, and for the vast majority of people mobile will likely remain their only platform for telecom services.

Key Developments

ASE cable system consortium contracts Ciena to increase the cable’s capacity by 193%.
NOW secures a PhP118 million grant from the US Trade and Development Agency to support its 5G rollout.
Telecom regulator extends SIM card registration deadline by three months due to low take-up.
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband service is launched to cover rural areas of the Philippines.
PLDT enters deal to acquire Sky Vision for PhP6.75 billion.
Smart and Digitel Mobile sign a third ten-year sale and leaseback arrangement relating to telecom towers.
DITO increases mobile market share by subscribers.
Report update includes the regulator’s market data updates, telcos’ data to Q4 2022, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Key companies mentioned in this report:

PLDT, Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, DITO Telecommunity, NOW Telecom, Huawei, Nokia, Alibaba Cloud

Key statistics
Regional Asia market comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI vs GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Telecommunications market

Market overview

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authority

Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT)
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)

Fixed-line developments

Interconnection
Foreign ownership rules
Access

Mobile network developments

SIM registration
Mobile spectrum
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Network sharing

Mobile market

Major mobile operators

Smart Communications
Globe Telecom
NOW Telecom
DITO Telecommunity

Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G / LTE

Mobile broadband

Fixed broadband market

Fixed broadband statistics
Fixed broadband service providers

PLDT
Globe Telecom

Fixed broadband technologies

Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
Wi-Fi

Fixed network market

Fixed network operators

PLDT
Globe Telecom

Telecommunications infrastructure

National telecom network

National Broadband Network (NBN)
Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)

International infrastructure

Submarine
International gateway facilities (IGFs)
Satellite systems

Data Centres

Data centre providers

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities – 2023 (e)
Table 2 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 3 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by major operator (million) – 2013 – 2022
Table 4 – Mobile subscriber market share by major operators – 2013 – 2022
Table 5 – Change in the total number of PLDT’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2022
Table 6 – Change in the number of PLDT’s mobile subscribers by type (million) – 2020 – 2022
Table 7 – Growth in the number of Smart’s mobile subscribers by category (million) – 2009 – 2022
Table 8– Growth in the number of Sun Cellular’s mobile subscribers by category (million) – 2011 – 2022
Table 9 – Change in the number of TNT’s mobile subscribers – 2009 – 2022
Table 10 – Development of Smart’s mobile ARPU by category (PhP/subscriber/month) – 2009 – 2022
Table 11 – Development of Sun Cellular’s mobile ARPU by category (PhP/subscriber/month) – 2011 – 2022
Table 12 – Change in TNT’s mobile ARPU – 2009 – 2022
Table 13 – Development of PLDT’s mobile revenue by type (PhP million) – 2020 – 2022
Table 14 – Change in the number of Globe Telecom’s mobile subscribers by type (million) – 2011 – 2022
Table 15 – Globe Telecom’s prepaid mobile subscribers by brand (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 16 – Development of Globe Telecom’s mobile ARPU by segment (PhP/subscriber/month) – 2013 – 2022
Table 17 – Development of Globe Telecom’s mobile revenue by service (PhP million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 19 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 20 – Growth in the number of PLDT’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2022
Table 21 – Change in PLDT’s fixed broadband ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Table 23 – Growth in the number of Globe Telecom’s fixed and fixed wireless broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2022
Table 24 – Increase in PLDT’s domestic fibre network length – 2017 – 2022
Table 25 – Increase in the number of PLDT fibered premises (million) – 2017 – 2022
Table 28 – Development of PLDT’s fixed-line revenue by type (PhP million) – 2020 – 2022
Table 30 – Change in the number of PLDT’s fixed-line subscribers – 2011 – 2022
Table 33 – Growth in the number of Globe Telecom’s fixed-line voice subscribers – 2011 – 2020
Table 34 – Change in the number of fixed lines and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 35 – Historic - Total mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1995 – 2010
Table 36 – Historic - Mobile services revenue – 2006 – 2014
Table 37 – Historic - Globe Telecom mobile subscribers – 2001 – 2010
Table 38 – Historic - Fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2007 – 2010
Table 39 – Historic - Internet users and penetration – 2007 – 2016
Table 40 – Historic - PLDT broadband subscribers – 2005 – 2010
Table 41 – Historic - PLDT fixed-line subscribers – 2001 – 2010
Table 42 – Historic - PLDT’s mobile subscribers – 2006 – 2010
Table 43 – Historic - Growth in the number of PLDT’s fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2008 – 2010
Table 44 – Historic - Globe Telecom fixed-line subscribers – 2002 – 2010
Table 45 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and penetration – 1995 – 2010
Table 46 – Historic - Growth in the number of Globe Telecom’s broadband subscribers – 2007 – 2010
Table 47 – Historic - Development of PLDT’s Group capex – 2008 – 2010

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 3 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 4 – Asia – Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 – Asia – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 – South East Asia – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 – South East Asia – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 9 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by major operator – 2013 – 2022
Chart 10 – Mobile subscriber market share by major operators – 2013 – 2022
Chart 11 – Change in the total number of PLDT’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2022
Chart 12 – Change in the number of PLDT’s mobile subscribers by type (million) – 2020 – 2022
Chart 13 – Growth in the number of Smart’s mobile subscribers by category – 2009 – 2022
Chart 14 – Growth in the number of Sun Cellular’s mobile subscribers by category – 2011 – 2022
Chart 15 – Change in the number of TNT’s mobile subscribers – 2009 – 2022
Chart 16 – Development of Smart’s mobile ARPU by category – 2009 – 2022
Chart 17 – Development of Sun Cellular’s mobile ARPU by category – 2011 – 2022
Chart 18 – Change in TNT’s mobile ARPU – 2009 – 2022
Chart 19 – Change in the number of Globe Telecom’s mobile subscribers by type – 2011 – 2022
Chart 20 – Globe Telecom’s prepaid mobile subscribers by brand (million) – 2012 – 2022
Chart 21 – Development of Globe Telecom’s mobile ARPU by segment – 2015 – 2022
Chart 22 – Development of Globe Telecom’s mobile revenue by service (PhP million) – 2012 – 2022
Chart 24 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2022
Chart 25 – Growth in the number of PLDT’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2022
Chart 26 – Change in PLDT’s fixed broadband ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Chart 27 – Development of PLDT’s fixed broadband revenue by type (PhP million) – 2020 – 2022
Chart 28 – Growth in the number of Globe Telecom’s fixed and fixed wireless broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2022
Chart 29 – Increase in PLDT’s domestic fibre network length – 2017 – 2022
Chart 30 – Increase in the number of PLDT fibered premises – 2017 – 2022
Chart 34 – Change in the number of PLDT’s fixed-line subscribers – 2011 – 2022
Chart 37 – Growth in the number of Globe Telecom’s fixed-line voice subscribers – 2011 – 2020
Chart 38 – Change in the number of fixed lines and penetration – 2012 – 2027

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Asia
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Asia – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Asia – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Asia – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – PLDT’s mobile licenses by technology - 2023
Exhibit 7 – Major submarine cables with landing points in the Philippines
Exhibit 8 – Philippines’ data centre providers and specifications

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Philippines Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

MNOs in the Philippines expand 5G network reach

Key Developments

Key companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Asia market comparison

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed broadband market

Fixed network market

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