|
|
LatAm & Caribbean - Net Additions in the Quarter
After the fourth quarter of 2006, when no fewer than seven companies managed to add one million or more new subscribers in the final quarter alone, the first quarter of the new year was always likely to be a bit dull. Only one company passed the million mark, though three others came close and ten managed more than half a million. The comparisons between Q1 07 and Q4 06 is instructive - only one of the ten fastest growing businesses added more customers in the March quarter, while on average, 31% fewer connections were made. This, we would suggest, is both a seasonal phenomenon, but also an indication that some of these markets are beginning to reach maturity.
Click to enlarge
Top Operators by Net Additions
Unlike the rolling twelve month view (see "CALA Operators in Q1 07: net additions in the year") there have been numerous changes in this list. Telcel Mexico's monopoly on the top spot is one again unchallenged, though it has added just 1.76m new customers in Q1 2007 against 2.47m in the prior quarter. Telefonica Mexico holds on to fifth, despite a drop in its additions from 1.11m to 0.77m, but every other place has changed. CANTV, recently taken into "social ownership" as it used to be known, has dropped from fourth to 17th. We'd like to think there was a connection here. Elsewhere, TIM Brasil is up from third to second (0.90m v 1.325m) reflecting its continuing strong performance, while Telecom Argentina has leapt from tenth to third, with 890k, against 1.07m in Q4. CTI Argentina matched Telecom Argentina in Q4, but fell just short this time, with 0.86m.
The bottom half of the list is all changed. Telecom Americas has fallen from second to sixth, having added 0.99m fewer than the 1.72m it connected in Q4. This 58% reduction is much the largest fall on the list. Telefonica Argentina dropped friom sixth to seventh, with 620k adds against 1.06m. Both Peruvian operators moved in the other direction, with TIM Peru (+590k) once again shading TEM Peru (+530k). Comcel brings up the rear, but with a still impressive 0.52m adds.
Posted to the site on 28th June 2007
This article was extracted from The Mobile World Briefing, the weekly newsletter from The Mobile World.
To download a sample issue of the Briefing in PDF format, please click here.
For more information including full subscription pricing, please visit The Mobile World