Serbia Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 22 Feb 2021 Update History

Report Pages: 155

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Serbia delays 5G auctions due to pandemic

Considerable network investment has been undertaken in Serbia by incumbent and alternative operators in recent years, despite economic difficulties. This has helped to stimulate internet usage, which has also been bolstered by improved affordability as prices are reduced through competition. The pandemic has stimulated consumer take up of services, particularly mobile data. The government’s various initiatives to improve rural broadband availability have also been supported by European development loans.

Serbia’s high mobile penetration, partly the result of multiple SIM card use, has seen lower revenue in recent years, placing further pressure on operators to develop business models which encourage consumer use of mobile data services as also the continued substitution of fixed-line for mobile voice calls.

In early 2021 Telekom Srbija agreed to provide Telenor Serbia with access to its fibre network. Despite accusations from United Group, which owns the principal cable broadband player SBB, that the deal could undermine SBB’s market position, the Group has also agreed to share network assets. This could lead to a significant shift in the telecom market landscape.

BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be 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, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth.

Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, 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:

MTS trials 5G services with Ericsson, Telenor with Huawei;
Telenor Serbia and Telekom Srbija deny rumours of a merger;
SBB delivers gigabit services to its eighth city;
Serbia prepares for end of regional roaming by July 2021;
Report update includes the regulator's annual reports, market data report to September 2020, telcos' operating and financial data to Q4 2020, assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Mobilna Telefonija Srbija (MTS), Telekom Srbija, Vip Mobile, Telenor Serbia, Serbia Broadband (SBB), I.KOM, Knight Development Support, Invest-Inženjering, Beogrid, JET TV, Kopernikus Technology, BeotelNet, Sat Trakt, Telemark and Radijus vektor.

Key statistics
Regional European Market Comparison

Europe Telecom Maturity Index by tier

Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents

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

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

Economic considerations and responses
Mobile devices
Subscribers
Infrastructure

Telecommunications market

Market analysis

Regulatory environment

Law on Electronic Communications

Amendments

Regulatory authority
Fixed-line developments

Telecom sector liberalisation
Privatisation
Interconnect
Universal service
Number Portability (NP)

Mobile network developments

Third mobile licence
700MHz
1800MHz auction
800MHz auction
2.5GHz/3.6GHz
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Roaming
Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs)

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Mobile data

Short Message Service (SMS)/Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)

Mobile broadband
Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
3G
Other infrastructure developments

Major mobile operators

Telenor Serbia
Mobilna Telefonija Srbija (MTS)
Vip Mobile
Mobile Virtual Network operators (MVNOs)

Mobile content and applications

Fixed-line broadband market

Introduction and statistical overview
Broadband statistics
Fixed-line broadband technologies

Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
Other fixed broadband services
WiMAX
W-Fi

Fixed network operators

Telekom Srbija

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network
International infrastructure

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Serbia – 2020 (e)
Table 2 – Share of telecom investment by service – 2010 – 2019
Table 3 – Share of telecom revenue by service – 2009 – 2019
Table 4 – Decline in the number of annual fixed number portings – 2014 – 2020
Table 5 – Average mobile number portings per month – 2011 – 2020
Table 6 – Annual and cumulative mobile number portings – 2011 – 2020
Table 7 – Change in roaming voice traffic – 2012 – 2019
Table 8 – Change in roaming voice revenue – 2013 – 2019
Table 9 – Mobile base stations in service by MNO – 2017 – 2019
Table 10 – Growth in mobile market revenue – 2009 – 2019
Table 11 – Change in revenue market share by operator – 2009 – 2019
Table 12 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Table 13 – Growth in outgoing mobile traffic – 2009 – 2020
Table 14 – Change in share of mobile subscribers by operator– 2009 – 2020
Table 15 – Prepaid subscribers and proportion of total mobile subscribers – 2009 - 2020
Table 16 – Change in the number of Telenor’s prepaid subscribers – 2010 - 2020
Table 17 – Change in the number of MTS’s prepaid subscribers – 2012 - 2019
Table 18 – Growth in mobile data traffic – 2012 – 2020
Table 19 – Change in SMS traffic – 2009 – 2020
Table 20 – Change in MMS traffic – 2009 – 2019
Table 21 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Table 22 – Mobile base stations installed by operator – 2019
Table 23 – Growth in the number of M2M connections – 2014 – 2020
Table 24 – Telenor Serbia mobile subscribers – 2010 – 2020
Table 25 – Telenor Serbia mobile financial data – 2010 – 2018
Table 26 – Telenor Serbia financial data (€ ) – 2018 – 2020
Table 27 – Telenor Serbia mobile ARPU - 2018 - 2020
Table 28 – Change in the number of MTS’s mobile subscribers – 2010 – 2019
Table 29 – Development of Vip Mobile’s revenue and EBITDA – 2010 – 2020
Table 30 – Development of Vip Mobile’s operating income and capex – 2010 – 2020
Table 31 – Development of Vip Mobile’s financial data by quarter – 2016 – 2020
Table 32 – Increase in the number of Vip Mobile’s subscribers – 2010 – 2020
Table 33 – Change in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers by platform – 2009 – 2020
Table 34 – Change in the fixed broadband market share by platform – 2015 - 2020
Table 35 – Fixed broadband market share by access speed – 2016 – 2020
Table 36 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Table 37 – Development of Telekom Srbija’s DSL subscribers – 2008 - 2019
Table 38 – Development of Telekom Srbija Group financial data – 2010 – 2019
Table 39 – Change in Telekom Srbija Group revenue by service – 2014 – 2019
Table 40 – Development of Telekom Srbija financial data – 2009 – 2019
Table 41 – Development of Telekom Srbija revenue by service – 2014 – 2019
Table 42 – Decline in Telekom Srbija Group fixed voice subscribers – 2009 – 2019
Table 43 – Change in the number of Telekom Srbija’s subscribers by sector – 2010 – 2019
Table 44 – Growth in Telekom Srbija Group investment – 2013 – 2019
Table 45 – Change in Telekom Srbija investments by segment – 2010 – 2019
Table 46 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2011 – 2026
Table 47 – Decline in fixed line voice traffic – 2009 – 2020
Table 48 – International internet bandwidth – 2011 – 2019
Table 49 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1998 - 2010
Table 50 – Historic – International internet bandwidth – 2004 - 2009
Table 51 – Historic - Development of Telekom Srbija Group financial data (billion) – 2007 – 2009
Table 52 – Historic - Telenor prepaid users – 2007 – 2009
Table 53 – Historic - Telenor Serbia’s mobile financial data – 2007 – 2009
Table 54 – Historic - Vip Mobile revenue and EBITDA – 2007 – 2009
Table 55 – Historic - Vip Mobile operating income and capex – 2007 – 2009
Table 56 – Historic - Vip Mobile subscribers – 2007 – 2009
Table 57 – Historic - Telenor Serbia mobile subscribers – 2006 – 2009
Table 58 – Historic- Vip Mobile financial data by quarter – 2007 – 2009
Table 59 – Historic - Telenor prepaid users – 2007 - 2009
Table 60 – Historic - Fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2005 - 2010

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders (top tier)
Chart 2 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers (middle tier)
Chart 3 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents (bottom tier)
Chart 4 – Overall view - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita
Chart 5 – Europe - mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 – Scandinavia and Baltics: mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 – Northern Europe –mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 – Southern Europe mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Eastern Europe mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Scandinavia and Baltics fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 11 – Northern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 12 – Southern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 13 – Eastern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 14 – Share of telecom investment by service – 2009 – 2019
Chart 15 – Share of telecom revenue by service – 2009 – 2019
Chart 16 – Decline in the number of annual fixed number portings – 2014 – 2020
Chart 17 – Average mobile number portings per month – 2011 – 2020
Chart 18 – Annual and cumulative mobile number portings – 2011 – 2020
Chart 19 – Change in roaming voice traffic – 2012 – 2019
Chart 20 – Change in roaming voice revenue – 2013 – 2019
Chart 21 – Growth in mobile market revenue – 2009 – 2019
Chart 22 – Change in revenue market share by operator – 2009 – 2019
Chart 23 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Chart 24 – Growth in outgoing mobile traffic – 2009 – 2020
Chart 25 – Change in mobile operator market share by subscribers – 2009 – 2020
Chart 26 – Prepaid subscribers and proportion of total mobile subscribers – 2009 - 2020
Chart 27 – Change in the number of Telenor’s prepaid subscribers – 2010 – 2020
Chart 28 – Change in the number of MTS’s prepaid subscribers – 2012 - 2019
Chart 29 – Growth in mobile data traffic – 2012 – 2020
Chart 30 – Change in SMS traffic – 2009 – 2020
Chart 31 – Change in MMS traffic – 2009 – 2019
Chart 32 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Chart 33 – Growth in the number of M2M connections – 2014 – 2020
Chart 34 – Telenor Serbia mobile subscribers – 2010 – 2020
Chart 35 – Telenor Serbia mobile financial data – 2010 – 2018
Chart 36 – Telenor Serbia financial data (€ ) – 2018 – 2020
Chart 37 – Change in the number of MTS’s mobile subscribers – 2010 – 2019
Chart 38 – Development of Vip Mobile’s revenue and EBITDA – 2010 – 2020
Chart 39 – Development of Vip Mobile’s operating income and capex – 2010 – 2020
Chart 40 – Vip Mobile financial data by quarter – 2016 – 2020
Chart 41 – Increase in the number of Vip Mobile’s subscribers – 2010 – 2020
Chart 42 – Change in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers by platform – 2009 – 2020
Chart 43 – Change in the fixed broadband market share by platform – 2015 - 2020
Chart 44 – Fixed broadband market share by access speed – 2016 – 2020
Chart 45 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Chart 46 – Development of Telekom Srbija’s DSL subscribers – 2008 - 2019
Chart 47 – Development of Telekom Srbija Group financial data – 2010 – 2019
Chart 48 – Change in Telekom Srbija Group revenue by service – 2014 – 2019
Chart 49 – Development of Telekom Srbija financial data – 2009 – 2019
Chart 50 – Development of Telekom Srbija revenue by service – 2014 – 2019
Chart 51 – Decline in Telekom Srbija Group fixed voice subscribers – 2009 – 2019
Chart 52 – Change in the number of Telekom Srbija subscribers by sector – 2010 – 2019
Chart 53 – Growth in Telekom Srbija Group investment – 2013 – 2019
Chart 54 – Change in Telekom Srbija investments by segment – 2010 – 2019
Chart 55 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2011 – 2026
Chart 56 – Decline in fixed line voice traffic – 2009 – 2020
Chart 57 – International internet bandwidth – 2010 – 2019

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment

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Serbia Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Serbia delays 5G auctions due to pandemic

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional European Market Comparison

Country overview

Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network operators

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