Portuguese mobile broadband subs grow 57% in Q1

The number of subscribers to mobile broadband services in Portugal reached 2.69 million at the end of March, with a net addition of 313,000 in the quarter or 13.2% more than at the end of 2008, according to the Portuguese regulator Anacom. In comparison to the first quarter of last year, the number of subscribers increased by 57.1%.

In the fixed broadband segment, the total number of customers amounted to 1.73 million, up 3.6% on December and 7.6% year-on-year, and represent 98% of all consumers with fixed internet access.

The number of dial-up users fell by 3,000 from the previous quarter to 38,000. Broadband access traffic grew 29% in the first quarter of 2009. The penetration rate in Portugal stands at 16% for fixed and 25.4% for mobile broadband.