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Research and Markets: In Late 2004, There Were 165,000 Broadband Subscribers in New Zealand Approximately 10,000 of These Were Cable Broadband SubscribersDUBLIN, Ireland, April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c15974 ) has announced the addition of 2005 New Zealand - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband to their offering. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040820/RESEARCH ) Three players, Telecom's Xtra, TelstraClear, and ihug, continue to dominate New Zealand's ISP market. The New Zealand market went through a period of rationalisation from early this decade, with a number of smaller ISPs closing down or acquired by larger players. The number of Internet users in 2004 reached 2.45 million, which represents only a 7% increase on the previous year. By late 2004, New Zealand had an estimated 900,000 Internet dial-up subscribers and 450,000 host computers. New and existing subscribers are beginning to move from dial-up to broadband as broadband prices are starting to become more competitive with entry-level prices of $39.95 for 256Kb/s services. Wireless broadband alternatives Wireless broadband is increasingly being seen by New Zealander's as a serious alternative to fixed broadband services, usage is increasing steadily from a low base. Wireless broadband is a niche, not a mainstream market. In areas where fixed networks are economically viable, wired will always win over wireless. Woosh Wireless is currently rolling out a national network and already provides its services in Auckland, Wellington CBD and Invercargill CBD. By late 2004, there were less than 15,000 wireless Internet users in New Zealand, Woosh Wireless had close to 10,000 of these users. Telecom losing the mobile battle The current mobile market is a duopoly of Vodafone New Zealand and Telecom Mobile. The pair operate the only cellular networks in the country. Vodafone took the number one spot in mobile subscribers in New Zealand last year and in late 2004 had 56% of the subscriber market. Telecom plans to have their 3G service (branded as T3G), available by the end of 2004. Customers will be able to sign up for a single service provider for high-speed access via mobile phones, WiFi hotspots and fixed line broadband. In late 2004, Vodafone was progressing well with the upgrade of their network to 3G capabilities and was well on track to deliver 3G capable products and services by the middle of 2005 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. New Zealand's Digital TV success story New Zealand has one of the highest digital TV penetration levels in the world. Digital television is currently broadcast in New Zealand by Sky on a satellite platform in the DVB standard, which also rebroadcasts some radio services. Apart from trial digital television broadcasts in Auckland on BCL's terrestrial platform, digital television services have yet to be established. There are over 610,000 Pay TV subscribers in New Zealand. Pay TV penetration has now reached 50%. Television advertising revenues have continued to increase throughout 2004. Telecom's 2012 vision Telecom has responded with its network vision to 2012. In a plan released in late 2004 for its vision to 2012, Telecom has outlined a plan of the next phase of its $1 billion investment in a Next Generation Network (NGN) and the new services it will enable for business and residential customers. The company announced that it will be able to significantly rationalise the 'old' network structures turning it into a single IP based network combining voice, data and video. The challenge for New Zealand will be to ensure that this economic and social development of national importance will not be monopolised by Telecom. Regulations are faltering Telecom proofs to be too large to regulate which is having a disastrous effect on competition and innovation in New Zealand. The Commerce Commission is underfunded and underpowered. The New Zealand Minister of Communications identified timeliness, monitoring, and enforcement, as areas for improvement in the Telecommunications Act as he his impending review of the Act will attempt to go beyond the more superficial tidy up previously declared. There are fourteen chapters in this report, each one with informative data and illustrative exhibits and tables. For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c15974 Laura Wood Senior Manager Research and Markets [email protected] Fax: +353 1 4100 980 Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040820/RESEARCHAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, [email protected] Research and Markets CONTACT: Laura Wood, Senior Manager of Research and Markets,[email protected] , or fax, +353-1-4100-980 Web site: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c15974 |