At the end of the first six months of 2021, the number of subscribers who actually used mobile services in Portugal increased by 414 thousand, a rise of 3.4% compared to the same half of 2020. This rate of growth is the strongest recorded since this indicator was first compiled in 2010. In total, the number of active cards with actual use increased to 12.5 million at the end of June. This trend is explained by greater uptake of post-paid and hybrid plans (+5.7% over the last 12 months), representing 62.9% of total accesses actually used. This is associated with the gradual lifting of movement restrictions from the second half of March. Prepaid plans (-0.1% in the last 12 months) continued in a downward trend, in place since 2012.
Mobile voice traffic in minutes increased by 7% compared to the first half of 2020. The trend in voice traffic in minutes was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Had the pandemic not occurred, it is estimated that average mobile voice traffic per access would have increased by 4.6% versus 2020. It is estimated that the effect of the pandemic over 5 quarters was, on average, an increase of 11.8% per quarter. COVID-19 also had an influence on traffic to international networks, which declined by 12.6%.
The number of actual users of the mobile Internet access service was reported at 8 million, 2% more than in the same period of 2020. This corresponds to a penetration rate of around 78 per 100 inhabitants, 1.5 percentage points more than in the 1st half of 2020. The reported increase results from a greater number of users of the Internet access service via mobile phone (+1.3%) and PC/tablet/pen/router (+11.9%). In the latter case, the rate of year-on-year growth is the highest recorded since 2010, which may be associated with the Digital School Programme (launched in September 2020), the gradual relaxation of restrictions and the beginning of the summer.
Mobile broadband Internet access traffic increased by 24.6% versus the same period of 2020. This is explained by the increase in the number of users and, to a greater extent, by an increase in the intensity of use. Average monthly traffic per active mobile Internet user increased 23.7% compared to the same period of 2020. Each mobile broadband user consumed, on average, 5.5 GB per month. Average monthly traffic generated per PC/tablet/pen/router access was 25.8 GB (+27.6%). COVID-19 will have contributed to the trends that were reported, especially in the case of offers supported over PC/tablet/pen/router.
Despite the half-year increase, according to the results of a study by Opensignal, Portugal has the lowest average monthly consumption of mobile data among 65 countries considered. The different levels of mobile data consumption result from the different levels of: 5G and fixed broadband penetration; use of Wi-Fi networks (where Portugal stands out); prices and features of the offers available in each country.
In the period under review, mobile service penetration rose to 170.4 per 100 inhabitants. The penetration rate of mobile accesses sold in bundles with fixed services was reported at 48.1 per 100 inhabitants.
Some types of roaming traffic reported increases compared to the same period of the previous year. In particular, Internet traffic once again reported high rates of growth (+30.9% roaming in and +37.3% roaming out), after a significant drop at the onset of the pandemic in 2nd quarter 2020.
MEO was the provider with the highest share of active mobile accesses with actual use (40.4%), followed by Vodafone (29.8%), NOS (26.7%) and NOWO (1.8%). NOS has the highest share of mobile broadband Internet traffic (45.4%), followed by MEO and Vodafone (27.4% and 26.7%, respectively).
Consult the statistical report:
- Mobile services - 1st half of 2021 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1702228