2010: The year telecoms recovered

While 2009 has been recognised as a terrible year for the fortunes of the telecoms sector, indications are appearing that 2010 could be markedly better.

Research conducted by Ovum indicates that telecoms service provider revenues only grew by 2.2 per cent year-on-year in 2009--the worst growth in a decade.

However, figures from Ovum's new Global Telecoms Analyzer show revenue is expected to rebound in 2010 driven largely by growth in the mobile sector.

According to John Lively, chief forecaster at Ovum, global mobile growth has hugely improved the situation. "In 2010, China and India alone will add 329 million new mobile phone connections, equivalent to more than the combined total population of Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK."

Ovum added that fixed-line services would continue to decline, although fibre connections for broadband services would increasingly be important for telcos. Overall, the number of fixed lines worldwide would fall from 1 billion in 2010, to 871 million by 2014. Fixed-line services revenues would also fall from around US$350 billion to US$283 billion, for the same period. Article