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July 21, 2010
Telecommunications regulators around the world are concentrating on measures to increase competition, and mobile number portability (MNP) is one of them.
Portability enables mobile users to keep their phone numbers when changing from one mobile operator to another. The freedom to change without losing the number reduces switching cost barriers and is known as a way to open the market to more competition.
Encouraged by the successful implementation of MNP in the developed world, MNP is on the march in Latin America. Regulators in five Latin American countries have already implemented the measure, and another five countries have it on their regulatory agendas and should be implementing it soon.
MNP represents both a threat and an opportunity for operators. The extent to which operators benefit from MNP doesn’t depend on their market share. It depends on their ability to use this change strategically.
My insider Mobile Number Portability May Trigger Big Changes in Latin American Markets explores reasons for national regulators in Latin America to implement portability and the approach that operators of different sizes in the region have taken to cope with the measure. I discuss the impact that the measure has in the market, the strategic approaches taken by small and large operators, and their outcomes.
— Juliana Gomez, Analyst
Related resources:
Latin America Mobile Demand Forecast
Forecasts published quarterly
Our Mobile Demand Forecast products provide complete pictures of demand trends for 19 geographical markets in Latin America. The Excel output includes five years of historical data and five years of market projections for metrics such as GDP, mobile penetration, subscriptions (by operator, type of package, technology), ARPS and total mobile service revenue (data and voice). The Forecasts are based on extensive field research and use a consistent methodology across all markets, aiming to capture the total spending, from an end-user perspective, on mobile communication services in each market.
Communications Markets in Brazil
Country Intelligence Report published February 2009
Total telecom revenue in Brazil in 2008 reached $55.8bn, up $7.4bn from 2007 fueled by mobile penetration jumping to 79%. Data services also made a significant contribution to growth. Both fixed and mobile voice revenue will decline, however. This Country Intelligence Report analyzes Brazil’s communications, media and technology industries, including key trends, regulatory pressures and the competitive landscape, making it an excellent complement to our Forecast products.
Prepaid Mobile Broadband Presents a Big Opportunity for Latin American Operators
Telecom Insider published July 2010
Since the majority of clients in Latin America choose the prepaid model for their voice services, operators in these countries are now looking for a way to introduce mobile data plans for pay-as-you-go users. Many of them will launch prepaid 3G data offerings by the end of this year. We expect prepaid mobile Internet service to take off and attract a significant number of users in Latin America in the short term. The service will be used not only by customers without fixed Internet in their home or office, but it will also attract a high number of occasional users, especially those who do not require full-time mobility for their connections. We also expect the service to defeat the myth that the prepaid service is not profitable, especially since prepaid services have higher margins compared with other telecom services. Case studies examined in this Insider include TIM Brasil, Telcel Mexico and Telia Sonera.
Market Factors Indicate Stronger Growth for Multi-SIM Handsets
Forecasts published quarterly
Multi-SIM handsets will enjoy increasing popularity and adoption, particularly in low-income, competitive and highly prepaid markets. Low-cost handset vendors are being joined by global handset brands now that the multi-SIM segment has reached a size and level of importance that no longer can be ignored, increasing the variety available and spurring innovation.
Latin America Mobile Data Forecasts
Forecasts published quarterly
Our Mobile Data Forecast products provide complete pictures of demand trends for 19 geographical markets in Latin America. The Excel output includes five years of historical data and five years of market projections for metrics such as penetration, mobile subscriptions (by type of package, by operator or MVNO and by network technology), users of specific data services (SMS, music, etc.), MOU, ARPS (by operator, by subscription type, by service, by application) and revenue (by messaging and non-messaging applications). The Forecasts are based on extensive field research and use a consistent methodology, aiming to capture the total spending on mobile data services in each market. Data from these Forecasts is available online for subscribers to our Data Tracker service.
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