At the end of 3rd quarter of 2012 (3Q2012), there were 4.6 million main telephone accesses in Portugal, an increase of 0.2 percent over the previous quarter (2Q2012) and an increase of 1.1 percent compared to the same quarter of 2011 (3Q2011), in line with the forecast range resulting from the estimated historical trend.
The penetration rate of main telephone accesses was reported at 42.9 accesses per 100 inhabitants, while the penetration rate of direct access residential customers was reported at 57 per 100 conventional dwellings. The increase seen in the number of accesses results mainly from new take up of multiple-play offers supported over high-speed networks (optical fibre/ FTTH/B and cable TV). The category of accesses covered by these offers grew by 3.6 percent compared to 2Q2012 and by 26.4 percent compared to 3Q2011.
Meanwhile, accesses using alternative networks other than the traditional network represented 38.4 percent of main telephone accesses this quarter. The downward trend in the number of fixed telephone service (FTS) accesses was reversed in late 2008, due to new take up of multiple-play offers.
Public pay-telephones continue to decline in number, with about 24 thousand reported in 3Q2012, a decrease of 1.2 percent from the previous quarter and a decline of 17.4 percent compared to 3Q2011.
At the end of this period, Grupo Portugal Telecom was responsible for 57.3 percent of all main accesses, 0.2 percentage points less than in 2Q2012. Grupo ZON Multimédia was the second largest operator with a market share of 19.3 percent, an increase of 0.3 percentage points.
The evolution reported in the volume of FTS voice minutes and volume of calls is within the bounds of the forecast range resulting from the trend and estimated seasonal effects. In the previous quarter, the volume of FTS voice minutes and volume of calls decreased by 6.5 and 4.4 percent, respectively. Compared to the same period of 2011, there was an increase of 0.9 percent in the volume of minutes and a decrease of 4.1 percent in the volume of calls.
Over the quarter, each access accounted, on average, for 117 minutes in fixed-fixed calls, 13 minutes in fixed-mobile calls and 10 minutes in international calls per month. Average call duration increased by 12 seconds when compared to 3Q2011, which may be due to bundled offers that offer customers free calls to fixed network numbers.
In terms of revenues from stand-alone FTS offers and from bundles of services that include this service, it is reported that, in the first 9 months of 2012, such revenues totalled about 1.2 billion euros, giving an increase of 9.3 percent over the same period of 2011. Separable FTS revenues represent 37.6 percent of total revenues, falling about 6.2 percent compared to 3Q2011.
According to the Barómetro Telecomunicações (Telecommunications Barometer) from Marktest, the average monthly charge of the fixed telephone service (where separable), was reported at 15.60 euros in 3Q2012, 2.5 percent more than in the previous quarter and 6.5 per cent less than in the same quarter of 2011.
Consult the statistical report:
- Fixed Telephone Service - 3rd quarter 2012 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1147036
