Total voice traffic originating on the fixed network during the first quarter of 2008 totalled around 2.091 billion minutes resulting from 699 million calls, giving a fall of 1.9% and 2.4% respectively over the previous quarter. Year-on-year there was a sharper fall of 3.3% in the case of minutes and of 3.2% in the number of calls.
The decline in traffic in terms of minutes was due to the sharp fall in dial-up internet access traffic (down 51.8%) resulting from the strong expansion of internet access using broadband technologies, and by the reduction in voice traffic (especially fixed-fixed). Meanwhile, in terms of calls, the year-on-year fall in total traffic is in the most part explained by a fall seen traditional voice traffic.
In comparison to the same period of the previous year, there were also falls in voice traffic. These falls reflect the decline seen in national traffic to fixed numbers (-3% in terms of minutes and - 4.2% in terms of calls over the first quarter of 2007) Meanwhile national traffic to mobile numbers saw a year-on-year fall of 4.3% in terms of minutes and of 4.5% in terms of the number of calls.
With regard to traffic associated with the nomadic VoIP service, it can be seen that its weight in respect of total traffic has increased over time, reaching 2.8% in terms of minutes and 1.7% in terms of calls. Nomadic VoIP totalled around 59.6 million minutes in March, representing an increase of 24.2% compared to the previous quarter.
As far as the shares of voice traffic is concerned, the companies of Grupo PT saw their share of voice traffic grow slightly both in terms of minutes, with an increase of 0.1 points to 67.6%, and in terms of calls, with an increase of 0.3 points to 67.5%.
The total number of main telephone accesses installed at customer request stood at around 4 million at the end of the first quarter, corresponding to a penetration rate of approximately 37.7 accesses per 100 inhabitants. Compared to the previous quarter, there was a slight decrease in the number of accesses (-0.9%). Year-on-year the number of accesses installed at customer request saw a fall of 2.8%. Over the same period, accesses based on GSM technology increased 5.1% over the previous quarter and 49.5% year-on-year. Reference should also be made to the exponential growth seen in the number of accesses based on VoIP technology, which increased tenfold over the previous quarter, to 40 324 accesses.
At the end of the first quarter, Grupo PT held about 70.4% of all accesses installed at customer request, 1.4% less than at the end of the previous quarter and 5.4% less than a year earlier. The alternative providers had 29.6% of accesses.
There were around 3.176 million fixed telephone service customers using direct access, a decrease of 0.6% on the previous quarter and a 2.3% fall on the same quarter of 2007. This trend was significantly driven by offers from alternative providers based on GSM technology and the packaged offers of fixed telephone and cable television and/or Internet that have been appearing in the market.
Regarding indirect access using pre-selection, the number of customers fell by 16.4%, to 246.5 thousand. It should be pointed out that this result extends the falling trend seen for this type of access, evident since the second quarter of 2006. This trend is explained by the new providers focusing on other business models with prospects of higher return and by new tariffs of the incumbent operator.
With respect to the customers of nomadic VoIP, there were around 100 thousand active customers, representing a rise of 31.4% over the previous quarter.
Grupo PT’s share of direct access customers fell by 1.8% compared to the previous quarter and by 6.8% compared to a year earlier, to stand at 66.9% at the end of March. This fall is a result, not only of the new offers of the alternative providers, but also of accesses with the SLRO activated.
In the indirect access modes, the alternative providers continue to hold a market share of above to 97%.
Consult:
- Postal services https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=277884
