Total traffic originating on the fixed network during the third quarter of 2006 reached 2,140 million minutes, a 5.5% fall from the previous quarter. Compared to the same period of the previous year there was a considerable decrease, the fixed network originating 12.5% less minutes. The traffic drop is mostly due to the considerable decrease in Internet access traffic using this means of access (dial-up), fostered by the strong expansion of broadband Internet access.
Regarding voice traffic, there were 1,920 million minutes originating on the fixed network, a 3.7% fall on the previous quarter and a 5.1% year-on-year decrease. All traffic categories had decreases, with highlight to the decrease in national traffic to mobile numbers (7.5% less minutes when compared to the previous quarter) and in international traffic (13.5% less versus a year before).
Between July and September, 20.3% of all voice minutes were originated via indirect access, 0.6 per cent less than in the previous quarter.
In the quarter under analysis PT group saw its voice traffic share fall 0.6 per cent, to 70.4%. In the same quarter of the year before, the new providers increased their shares by about 3.2 per cent.
By the end of the third quarter of 2006, the total number of main telephone accesses installed at customer request reached 4.2 million, corresponding to a penetration rate of 40 accesses per 100 inhabitants. Regarding the previous quarter there was a slight increase in the number of accesses (0.6%); but a 0.2% year-to-date decrease.
In that same period, the number of installed public payphones stood at about 44 thousand, a decrease of about 0.9%. Compared to the same quarter of the previous year there was a 4.5% reduction.
Regarding access shares, the companies of PT group continue to hold most installed accesses. At the end of September, PT group held 83.4% of all accesses installed at customer request, 2.1 per cent less than in the previous quarter and 7.2 per cent less than at the end of September 2005 (90.6%).
The number of fixed telephone service customers using direct access was around 3.176 million, 2.6% more than at the end of the previous quarter and 0.3% less than a year before. It should be pointed out that the new providers had a considerable increase in the number of direct access customers from the previous quarter (14.9%). This was greatly influenced by the new offers using GSM technology and the package offers of fixed telephone and cable television and/or Internet.
PTGroup's share of direct access customers fell 1.8 per cent compared to the previous quarter, and had a year-to-date decrease of 7.8 per cent, standing at 83.1% by the end of the quarter.
Regarding indirect access via pre-selection, the number of customers decreased 8.1%, to 444 thousand. This result confirms the inversion of the growth trend in this type of accesses. Compared to a year before, the number of pre-selection customers decreased 4.5%.
In the 3rd quarter there were 84 thousand active customers accessing via call by call selection, 9.2% more than in the previous quarter and 14.5% less than a year earlier.
In the indirect access modes, the remaining providers continue to hold a market share close to 99%, a figure that has been steady since the liberalization of the Fixed Telephone Service.
Consult:
- Postal services https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=277884
