Slovakia - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Overview

This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Slovakia’s telecommunications market. The report analyses the fixed-line, mobile and broadband sectors. Subjects include:

• Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
• Facts, figures and statistics;
• Industry and regulatory issues;
• Infrastructure developments;
• Major Players, Revenues, Subscribers, ARPU, MoU;
• Mobile Voice and Data Markets;
• Broadband (FttP, DSL, cable, wireless);
• Mobile subscribers and ARPU;
• Broadband market forecasts;
• Government policies affecting the telecoms industry;
• Market liberalisation and industry issues;
• Telecoms operators – privatisation, IPOs, acquisitions, new licences;
• Mobile technologies (GSM; 3G, HSPA, LTE, 5G).

Researcher:- Henry Lancaster
Current publication date:- October 2018 (16th Edition)

Executive Summary

Slovakian telcos to extend fixed broadband nationally by 2020

Despite market liberalisation Slovakia’s incumbent telco Slovak Telekom maintains a near monopoly of the fixed-line market. Market competition has forced a number of mergers and acquisitions in recent years, resulting in a small number of larger operators.

The broadband market has shown steady growth in recent years, with effective competition between the DSL, cable and fibre platforms. DSL remains the dominant technology while the cable sector is particularly strong in urban areas. A fast-developing FttX infrastructure has been supported by sympathetic regulatory measures. There are also wireless broadband options from the mobile network operators, as also LTE-based fixed-wireless services from Orange Slovakia and Slovak Telekom aimed at providing broadband to areas lacking DSL.

The mobile market is served by four mobile network operators, three of which have a pan-European reach. Mobile penetration is relatively high, at about 132% by mid-2018. The introduction of mobile number portability in 2006 intensified competition between players. However, the MVNO sector remains underdeveloped, with the few operators in place having failed to gain traction and thus holding only a marginal share of the overall market.

Mobile broadband access and content services are developing rapidly in line with operators having upgraded their networks with LTE technologies. The regulator since early 2018 has prepared the groundwork for 5G services, encouraging network operators to refarm spectrum to create more continuous blocks, and readying itself for an auction of spectrum in the 1800MHz band.

This report outlines Slovakia’s fixed-line telecoms market, providing an overview of the regulatory environment, profiles of the major operators, and a range of operational and financial statistics. The report also covers the mobile market voice and data markets, providing statistics and profiles of the mobile network operators as well as an assessment of regulatory issues and developments in LTE, 5G and mobile data services. In addition the report reviews the fixed-line and wireless broadband markets, including subscriber forecasts.

Key developments:

• Regulator concludes 3.6-3.8GHz auction;
• Slovanet secures spectrum in the 10GHz band for wireless broadband;
• Competition authority approves SWAN merger with BENESTRA;
• Orange Slovakia to increase FttP footprint to over one million premises;
• Government and telcos reach accord to extend broadband to all unserved settlements nationally;
• Slovak Telekom launches a 300Mb/s fibre service;
• Orange Slovakia and Slovak Telekom offering LTE service as substitute for fixed-line broadband;
• Telecom sector revenue growth returns in 2017;
• Report update includes the regulator’s market data to December 2017, telcos’ operating data to Q2 2018, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Slovak Telecom, Orange Slovakia, UPC Slovakia, T-Mobile Slovakia (Slovakia Telekom), Orange Slovakia, O2 Slovakia.

Table of Contents

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