Research and Markets: The Swiss Mobile Market Continues To Experience Robust Growth Despite a Penetration Rate Which Is Ex

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Posted December 3, 2010

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6ac328/switzerland_teleco) has announced the addition of the "Switzerland Telecommunications Report 2011" report to their offering. Switzerland Telecommunications Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, telecommunication associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Switzerland's telecommunications industry.

We are pleased to introduce quarterly updates to BMIs Swiss telecommunications market report, previously published on an annual basis. This first edition contains analysis of trends in the Swiss telecoms market using latest data published the Federal Communications Commission (ComCom) and major service providers Swisscom, Sunrise, Orange Switzerland and UPC Switzerland (Cablecom). We also extend our forecasts for the mobile, fixed line and internet sectors in Switzerland to 2015.

The Swiss mobile market continues to experience robust growth despite an already penetration rate which we expect to exceed the 120% market by the end of 2010. At the end of Q210, the market a total subscriber base of 9.157mn, up from 9.030mn at the end 2009. Going forward, we anticipate the market would remain in an uptrend in the medium term and the total subscriber base will reach 11.5mn, or a penetration rate of 145.1%, by 2015.

Meanwhile, 3G, which took off slowly after launch, is expected to see more rapid growth with the increase in 3G-enabled smartphones and other mobile devices. The mobile arm of fixed-line incumbent, Swisscom, maintains its lead in the sector with a market share of 62.1%, driven by its lion share of quarterly net additions over the past two years.

Sunrise maintains the second position, having edged ahead of Orange in Q408 with the acquisition Tele 2 Switzerland and the consolidation of its customers. At the end of Q210, Sunrise had a market share of 20.8%, 3.3 percentage points ahead of third placed Orange on 17.5%. Meanwhile, a number of MVNOs are active in the market, including Lycamobile, ALDI Mobile and Abalon.

Despite the intense competition in the market between the various service providers, ARPU rates in Switzerland remain among the highest in Western Europe. Q210 operational data released by the mobile network operators show ARPU rates of between CHF40 and CHF50.

Throughout 2009, Swisscom continued to invest in the development of its fibre-optical network, which aims to provide high-speed broadband services to business and residential neighbourhoods. The deployment of higher-speed optical-fibre and cable networks is expected to be one of the most important developments driving the growth of Switzerland's fixed broadband access market over the next few years.

In addition to Swisscoms network deployments, alternative operators such as Sunrise, Orange and Cablecom are investing in the development of high-speed cable and fibre services. Switzerland sits in the lower half of BMIs Business Environment Rankings for Western Europe. The country's overall rating, held back by a relatively weak Industry Rewards and Industry Risks score, has slipped below the average regional score for the first time this quarter. Switzerland scores slightly above the regional average in the Country Rewards category and significantly above the regional average in the Country Risk category.

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