In the first quarter of 2023 (1Q2023), the penetration rate of residential fixed broadband customers was 91.7 per 100 households, 3.2 percentage points higher than in the same period of 2022.
Compared to the same quarter of 2022, the number of fixed broadband accesses has increased by 152 thousand (+3.5%) to a total of 4.5 million.
Optical fibre was the main form of fixed broadband Internet access, making up 64.4% of total accesses, an increase of 3.4 percentage points versus the first quarter of 2022 (1Q2022). FTTH was also the driver of growth in the number of accesses. In the last 12 months, the number of accesses supported over optical fibre increased by 246 thousand accesses (+9.3%).
Accesses supported over cable TV networks decreased by 0.8%, and represented 26.3% of the total (-1.1 percentage points compared to the same period of 2022). Fixed accesses supported over mobile networks decreased by 5.9% to make up 5.5% of all accesses (-0.5 percentage points). The downward trend in ADSL accesses continued, replaced by next generation accesses, having fallen by 30.6%. ADSL accounted for 3.6% of total accesses (-1.8 percentage points).
Based on the most recent data for the end of 2022, 89.0% of fixed broadband accesses were categorised as ultra-fast broadband accesses (i.e. download speed1 greater than or equal to 100 Mbps), increasing 2.8 percentage points versus the same period of the previous year.
In July 2022, Portugal’s proportion of accesses with download speeds equal to or greater than 100 Mbps was the fourth highest in the EU.
The increase in the proportion of ultra-fast broadband accesses occurred alongside the development of optical fibre networks (FTTH) and the introduction of DOCSIS 3.x in cable TV networks. These two types of networks were responsible for 70% and 29% of accesses with at least 100 Mbps, respectively.
Total fixed broadband Internet traffic increased by 16.4% compared to the same period of the previous year, reaching successive historical highs. Average monthly traffic per access was 270 GB, 12.4% more than in the same quarter of the previous year. As of 3rd quarter 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic ceased to have a significant impact on average traffic per access, and there was a gradual resumption in the pre-pandemic growth trend.
In the fixed broadband Internet access service markets, four providers present in the market have relevant shares of subscribers: MEO (41.0%), Grupo NOS (34.0%), Vodafone (21.7%) and NOWO (2.9%). Compared to the same quarter of 2022, MEO and Vodafone saw their shares of subscribers increase by 0.3 percentage points each, while Grupo NOS and NOWO saw their shares of subscribers shrink by 0.3 percentage points each. MEO was the provider that acquired the most customers in net terms.
If residential accesses are considered, MEO had the highest share of subscribers (39.3%), followed by Grupo NOS (36.2%), Vodafone (20.8%), and NOWO (3.3%). Compared to the same quarter of 2022, Vodafone and MEO saw their shares increase by 0.3 percentage points and 0.2 percentage points, respectively, while Grupo NOS and NOWO saw their shares shrink by 0.3 percentage points each.
With regard to fixed broadband traffic, MEO reported a share of 42.4% in 1Q2023, followed by Grupo NOS with 29.9% and Vodafone with 24.1%. NOWO's share was 1.8%. Compared to the same period of the previous year, MEO was the only provider whose traffic share increased (+0.9 percentage points), while Vodafone, Grupo NOS and NOWO saw their shares shrink by 0.7 percentage points, 0.3 percentage points and 0.1 percentage points, respectively.
Consult the statistical report:
- Internet access service at a fixed location - 1st quarter 2023 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1746597
