At the end of September 2007 there were around 1.68 million customers of the fixed Internet access service in Portugal, 2.3% more than in the previous quarter and 9.2% more than in the third quarter of 2006. Of this number, 94% or 1.57 million customers were users of fixed broadband Internet access. At the same time users of mobile broadband increased to 1.18 million.
The number of fixed broadband users (1.57 million) increased by 3.3% over the previous quarter - an addition of 50 thousand customers - and by 16% year-on-year.
The main technology used for broadband Internet access is ADSL, as it has been since the end of 2004, representing 62% of the total (around 971 thousand customers), Cable modem is used by around 37% of fixed broadband customers (around 585 thousand customers).
As far as mobile broadband is concerned, the number of users with Internet access rose to 1.18 million, 199 thousand additional users over the previous quarter when there were 984 thousand users.
The number of mobile broadband users who were active during the quarter being reported grew by 33%, totalling 478 thousand users.
At the end of September, the penetration rate for fixed broadband Internet access stood at 14.8 per 100 inhabitants, 0.5 percent higher than the rate recorded in the previous quarter. Meanwhile the penetration rate for mobile broadband reached 11.2 per 100 inhabitants, if all active users who have accessed the Internet at least once since the service's launch are considered.
Grupo PT's share of fixed broadband customers stood at 69.1%, 0.6% lower than in the previous quarter and 2.7% lower than the figure recorded for the same period of 2006. In the meantime, the alternative operators saw their share of customers rise during the quarter being reported to 30.9%. It should be noted that the growth in the customer share of the new providers was in the most part supported by local loop unbundling, reflecting an improvement in the Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) offer which is promoted by ICP-Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM).
During the third quarter, around 48% of new fixed broadband customers signed up to the services of the alternative providers.
Finally the regulator is currently developing the procedures necessary for the publication of details on the customer shares of providers of mobile broadband access.
Consult:
- Postal services https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=277884
