2012-02-01 14:25:18 - New Fixed Networks research report from Business Monitor International is now available from Fast Market Research

BMI's updated 2012 report contains revised and extended forecasts that predict how the country's fixedline, internet, broadband and mobile telephony sectors will develop through to the end of 2016. Our new forecasts reflect the latest data published by Latvia's fixed-line incumbent operator Lattelecom, as well as the country's three mobile operators, Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (LMT), in which Nordic carrier TeliaSonera has a major interest; privately owned Bite Latvija; and Tele2 Latvia, the Latvian arm of Swedish carrier Tele2 AB.

In the first nine months of 2011, Latvia's mobile market grew by an impressive 5.6%, with the number of mobile customers surpassing to 2.7mn in September. By the end of 2011, we estimate there were 2.753mn mobile subscribers in Latvia, representing growth

of 6% over the year and mobile penetration rate of almost 123%. Although healthy rates of growth should continue into 2012, we maintain our view that market will slow over the long term owing to increasing saturation. By the end of our newly extended forecast period in 2016, we predict that Latvia's mobile customer base will reach 3.088mn, which will be equivalent to a penetration rate of just over 140%.


Full Report Details at
- www.fastmr.com/prod/326953_latvia_telecommunications_report_2012 ..


Recent months have seen continued efforts by the Latvian mobile operators to expand the reach and transmission speeds of their 3G networks. All three operators have been deploying HSDPA services across their 3G networks, while simultaneously preparing for the introduction of 4G mobile services based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. Mobile market leader LMT reportedly began offering commercial LTE services in several regions in June 2011. Our newly extended 3G subscriber forecast for Latvia anticipates an annual average growth rate of 20% over the next five years, predicting almost 1.64mn 3G customers at the end of 2016, equivalent to around 53% of the total mobile user base.

In addition to our mobile and 3G subscriber forecasts, this quarter sees the introduction of a new set of forecasts for mobile ARPU levels in Latvia. Our ARPU forecast is based on historical ARPU data published by TeliaSonera (for mobile business LMT) and Bite Latvia. Examined as a market average, the mobile ARPU rate for Latvia fell by 18.6% in 2010 to reach LVL7.8 (US$14.2). In the short term, we expect mobile ARPUs to be negatively affected by the country's weak economic recovery following the 2009 recession. Over the longer term however, an improved subscriber mix, together with the increased use of higher value data services, has potential to positively influence mobile ARPU rates.

The continuation of slow rates decline within Latvia's fixed-line telephony sector has been attributed to the proliferation of triple play packages, which are sold by the two leading cable TV operators, Baltcom and IZZI. Meanwhile, Latvia's broadband market is benefitting from Lattelecom's ongoing investment in a new optical fibre network, which enables the provision of internet services with speeds of up to 500Mbps. By the end of 2011, Lattelecom planned to make its fibre optic network available to around 400,000 Latvian households. BMI estimates that by the end of 2011 Latvia had around 560,000 broadband subscribers, a figure which includes around 75,000 mobile broadband subscriptions. Our estimate gives Latvia a broadband penetration rate of 25%. By 2016 we envisage a market of about 809,000 broadband subscriptions, which is equivalent to almost 37% of the population.

Latvia sits in 9th position in BMI's business environment rankings for Central and Eastern Europe. The country sits at the mid-point of our table with an overall score which is just above the regional average. Positive influences on Latvia's Industry Rewards score include the robust mobile subscriber growth which was witnessed in 2010 and 2011, together with a high internet user penetration rate and a fixed-line sector which is experiencing only moderate decline.

Partial Table of Contents:

SWOT Analysis
- Latvia Wireless SWOT
- Latvia Wireline SWOT
- Latvia Political SWOT
- Latvia Economic SWOT
- Latvia Business Environment SWOT
Business Environment
- Central And Eastern European Markets
- Table: Central And Eastern Europe Business Environment Ratings
- Latvia
Industry Forecast Scenario
- Mobile
- Table: Latvian Telecoms Sector - Mobile Historical Data And Forecasts, 2009-2016
- ARPU
- Table: ARPU - Historical Data And Forecasts, 2009-2016
- Fixed-Line
- Table: Latvian Telecoms Sector - Fixed-Line Historical Data And Forecasts, 2009-2016
- Internet
- Table: Latvian Telecoms Sector - Internet Historical Data And Forecasts, 2009-2016
Market Data Analysis
- Mobile
- Table: Latvia Mobile Subscribers, September 2011 (000')
- Customer Divisions
- ARPU
- 3G and 4G
- Mobile Contract Wins
- Table: Mobile Contract Wins
- Regional Outlook
- Content Rises On A CEE Of Data
- Table: Mobile Broadband Subscriptions By Operator
- Top 10 Sites By Visits On Opera Mini-browser, Select Countries In CEE
- Country Outlook
- Value-Added Services Timeline
- Table: Selected VAS Services
- Mobile Operator Data
- Table: Latvia Mobile Market Overview, 2009-2011
- Table: LMT
- Table: Bite
- Table: Tele2
- Fixed-Line
- Internet
- FTTH
- WiMAX
- IPTV
- Digital Terrestrial Television
- Table: Wireline Developments
Regulatory Environment And Industry Developments
- Table: Latvia - Regulatory Bodies And Their Responsibilities
- Legislation And Market Liberalisation
- Regulation
- Regulation Developments
Competitive Landscape
- Key Players Table - Key Players: Latvia Telecommunications Market
- Table: Selected Operators Financial Indicators
Company Monitor
- Ericsso Nikola Tesla
Company Profiles
- Lattelecom
- Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (LMT)
- Tele2 Latvia
- Baltcom TV
Regional Telecommunications Penetration Overview
- Mobile
- Table: Regional Mobile Penetration Overview
- Fixed-Line
- Table: Regional Fixed-Line Penetration Overview
- Internet
- Table: Regional Broadband Penetration Overview
Country Snapshot: Latvia Demographic Data
-

Full Table of Contents is available at:
-- www.fastmr.com/catalog/product.aspx?productid=326953&dt=t

About Business Monitor International

Business Monitor International (BMI) offers a comprehensive range of products and services designed to help senior executives, analysts and researchers assess and better manage operating risks, and exploit business opportunities, across 175 markets. BMI offers three main areas of expertise: Country Risk BMI's country risk and macroeconomic forecast portfolio includes weekly financial market reports, monthly regional Monitors, and in-depth quarterly Business Forecast Reports. Industry Analysis BMI covers a total of 17 industry verticals through a portfolio of services, including in-depth quarterly Country Forecast Reports. View more research from Business Monitor International at www.fastmr.com/catalog/publishers.aspx?pubid=1010

About Fast Market Research

Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. We represent the world's top research publishers and analysts and provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available.

For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.