Asia Mobile Infrastructure and Mobile Broadband: Ken Research

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Asia Mobile Infrastructure and Mobile Broadband
Ken Research
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Asian mobile broadband market continues to grow
strongly With 3.9 billion mobile subscribers and
over 50 of the mobile subscribers in the world,
spread across a diverse range of markets, the
region is already rapidly advancing in the
adoption of mobile broadband services. Mobile
broadband as a proportion of the total Asian
mobile broadband subscriber base, has increased
from 2 in 2008 to 18 in 2013, 27 in 2014, 33
in 2015 and 37 in 2016. Thus mobile broadband
subscribers now account for over one third of all
mobile subscribers in Asia.
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Growth across the region in high speed access to
the internet by means of mobile broadband
services has been largely driven by highly
competitive markets combined with the
preparedness of the customer to embrace new
generation mobile technologies. With 3G, 3G and
4G platforms extensively covering the region,
mobile broadband services have already become
well established. The rapid take up has been
underpinned by increasingly cheaper smartphone
prices and lower airtime tariffs combining to
support even wider adoption. A major shift from
mobile voice to mobile data continues across most
markets in Asia. The more highly developed
markets in the region, such as Japan, South
Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, have seen
their mobile networks strongly driven by mobile
data services. They have positioned themselves
well to exploit mobile data and broadband
wireless opportunities and lead the rest of the
region into the next generations of mobile
applications.
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The mobile broadband subscriber base across all
of Asia continues to grow strongly. The total
number of mobile broadband subscribers has
increased from 1.12 billion in 2014 to 1.41
billion in 2015 and 1.6 billion in 2016. Although
the rate of increase of mobile broadband
subscribers has subsided as the initial rapid
rollout of services has slowed down, the growth
rate is still reasonably strong, implying that
there is still significant growth opportunity
left in the market over the next five years to
2021, especially in the less developed Asian
markets that are still predominately dependant on
voice networks for mobile services. MOBILE
BROADBAND With the two mobile operators,
Dhiraagu and Wataniya, launching 3G offerings in
2009/2010, there has been rapid expansion of
mobile broadband services in the Maldives. By
mid-2015 mobile broadband dominated the internet
market in terms of subscriber numbers and growth
rate.
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MOBILE INFRASTRUCTURE Digital networks 3G
The mobile operator Wataniya launched a
commercial 3G network in 2008. The company also
soft launched a 3.5G High-Speed Packet Access
(HSPA) network. It progressively offered
additional new generation services including
Wataniya Mobile Broadband, Wataniya Mobile Video
Surveillance and Wataniya Mobile TV services. The
Wataniya Broadband (3G) service was launched
in 2009. After Wataniya successfully
transitioned to the Ooredoo brand in 2013, the
operator made significant strides. By September
2013 Ooredoo Maldives had extended its 3.5G HSPA
network to the island of Kaafu Dhiffushi in line
with the network modernisation plan launched in
July. The HSPA network now covers about of the
population.
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Dhiraagu launched its 3G service, branded 3G
plus, in 2010, and quickly provided coverage
across a significant proportion of the Maldives.
Dhiraagu had expanded coverage of its 3G
network to all inhabited islands by the end of
2015. LTE The two mobile operators have made
good progress in expanding their LTE services.
Dhiraagu launched LTE using spectrum in the
1800MHz band in October 2014, and by January 2015
the service was available in the island of
Fuvahmulah and Addu City, the countrys second
largest city. In addition to these two new
locations, network coverage extended to Malé
City, Villingili, Hulhumale, Ibrahim Nasir
International Airport, Villingilli, Thinadhoo,
Kulhudhufushi, Naifaru. In April 2016 LTE
services were extended to the island of
Dhidhdhoo. By August 2016 the operators LTE
network provided population coverage.
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The network initially supported download speeds
of up to s, with customers experiencing average
data rates of between s and s. In late 2015
Dhiraagu launched an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network
using carrier aggregation (CA) technology
(utilising its concessions in the 1800MHz and
2600MHz bands), which improved download speeds to
/s downlink and s uplink. For more information
on the market research report please refer to the
below link https//www.kenresearch.com/technolog
y-and-telecom/telecommunications-and-networking/as
ia-mobile-infrastructure-mobile-broadband/63857-10
5.html
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Contact Ken ResearchAnkur Gupta, Head
Marketing Communicationsquery_at_kenresearch.com
91-124-4230204