The new fixed telephone service providers had a market share of 10.9% at the end of the first quarter of the year, reveals data compiled by the Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM). This market share is higher than that in the fourth quarter of 2001 - when the market share of new operators was 10.0%. As in previous quarters, these market-share ratios refer to conversation minutes for voice calls and Internet, and do not include fixed-to-mobile traffic.
The market share (in minutes) of the new operators for outgoing international calls, in the first quarter of 2002, rose to 29.7%, as compared to 27.2% in the fourth quarter of 2002. Remaining traffic was carried by PT Comunicações.
The market share of the new operators in national calls was 10.2% of all traffic carried, as compared to 9.4% recorded in the fourth quarter of 2001. Remaining traffic was carried by PT Comunicações.
In the first quarter of 2002, 3,800 million conversation minutes were carried by all operators, corresponding to a 3.1% reduction on the previous quarter. In comparison with the first quarter of 2001, a 4.7% reduction in all traffic originated was recorded.
It should be noted that international traffic was not affected by this overall reduction in total traffic. The number of conversation minutes for outgoing calls abroad from Portugal increased by 0.7% in the first quarter of 2002 in comparison with the previous quarter and by 2.8% in comparison with the first quarter of 2001.
Around 91.8% of all traffic originated in the first quarter of 2002, corresponded, in terms of conversation minutes, to communications via direct access. Direct access was more frequently used in national calls (92.4%) and less frequently in international calls (73.9%).
At the end of March, 2002, there were 4.37 million primary telephone accesses in Portugal, 0.7% lower than the level in December, 2001. The market penetration rate now stands at 42.2 accesses per 100 inhabitants.
In relation to all primary telephone accesses, 97.4% were operated by PT Comunicações at the end of the first quarter of 2002, and the market share of other providers was 2.6%.
In relation to technologies used in primary telephone accesses, 99.9% were supported by copperwire pairs, fibre-optics and cable, and the remainder by FWA (Fixed Wireless Access).
In relation to the accesses guaranteed by the new service providers, 94.5% were supported by copperwire pairs, fibre-optics and cable, and the remaining 5.5% by FWA.
At the end of the first quarter of 2002, 28 fixed telephone service providers were licensed by ANACOM, of which fifteen were in activity.
Of the 15 providers in activity, 8 provided both direct and indirect access traffic, 2 solely direct access traffic and 5 solely indirect access traffic.
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