Published 04/04/07:


Research News
LLU in the UK: 2006 a year of growth
IPTV in the US
France Telecom: Fostering further growth
France Telecom’s IPTV outlook for 2007
MNP (mobile number portability) in selected countries in Europe


LLU in the UK: 2006 a year of growth
From InfoCom’s broadband market monitoring

In 2006, the number of DSL lines in the UK increased from 7.3 million end of 2005 to 10.1 million end of 2006 (+38%). In the same period, the number of unbundled local loops used from alternative operators to provide telephony and Internet services has shown a strong increase accounting for 1.2 million unbundled loops end of 2006 (0.19 million end of 2005). Their share on total DSL lines has grown to nearly 13% compared to 3% end of 2005. While the share of DSL lines based on the incumbent’s (BT) other wholesale products (bitstream products such as IPStream and DataStream) decreased during 2006 from 64% end of 2005 to 54%. With a share of 32%, BT’s market share of retail DSL lines remained stable during 2006.

In comparison to other major Western European countries such as Germany (4.75 million unbundled loops), France (3.9 million) and Italy (2.1 million) the UK still lacks behind in absolute terms, but will catch-up in the near future. More and more DSL providers invest in LLU infrastructure and shift away from classical wholesale services towards LLU in order to provide more flexible services to their end-users.

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IPTV in the US
From InfoCom’s custom studies

In the US, the battle for a spot in the sun is in full swing. Although cable operators and phone companies were once operating in two different separated industries, the two industries are now competing head-on. Telecom operators are rolling out TV services. In some markets, IP-based, in others, they offer a competitive satellite-based traditional TV package. In the meantime, the cable industry, which is already successful with its broadband Internet service offers, is now rolling out phone services. Service packages are benchmarked with each other, in a fight to the last customer.

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France Telecom: Fostering further growth
From InfoCom´s company profiles

The French incumbent seems to set acquisitions as to foster further growth to offset declines at its core business. The carrier seems interested in new opportunities overseas, particularly in Africa, as well as Asia. Discover the deals that FT has in Asia with China Telecom and other Chinese players as well as Vietnam. Know more about FT from InfoCom’s company profiles…

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France Telecom’s IPTV outlook for 2007
From InfoCom’s custom studies

France Telecom's content services brought approximately €400 million in revenues in 2006, with TV and video-on-demand making up the largest share, followed by music and then games, with news and services such as astrology trailing in fourth position. France Telecom reported 590,000 IPTV customers at the end of 2006 and expects to achieve one million IPTV subscribers by end-2007. See our IPTV report on Western Europe...

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MNP (mobile number portability) in selected countries in Europe
From InfoCom’s strategic studies

In 2006, the annual ratio of mobile number portability is above 4% for all mobile subscribers in Belgium — a level that most European countries do not surpass — around 1.5% in the Netherlands and Switzerland, and only about 0.5% in Germany. In Belgium, number portability is organized in a user-friendly way and relatively cheap, while for instance in Germany, porting fees are quite high for customers in comparison with other countries.

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