[January 21, 2010] Research and Markets: Mobile Penetration in Argentina Is Estimated At 120 Percent at Year-End 2009, Compared With 89 Percent for the Region as a Whole Tweet Dublin, Jan 20, 2010 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- Research and Markets(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e4c6c9/argentina_regulat) has announced the addition of the "Argentina: Regulators Block Competition in Key Telecom Sectors" report to their offering. Despite Argentina's soaring mobile and pay-TV penetration, the country has not seen the same level of development in converged and bundled offers than in other markets in the region as regulators continue to block competition, according to a new report. Argentina: Regulators Block Competition in Key Telecom Sectors offers a precise, incisive profile of the country's converged telecommunications, media, and technology sectors based on proprietary data from our research in the Argentinean market. This 30-page report provides detailed competitive analysis of both the fixed and mobile sectors, tracks the market shares of technologies and services, and monitors the introduction and spread of new technologies, such as WiMax, IPTV, and VoIP. It provides a comprehensive view of the Argentinean communications market by analyzing key trends, evaluating near-term opportunities, and assessing upcoming risks factors. Mobile penetration in Argentina is estimated at 120 percent at year-end 2009, compared with 89 percent for the region as a whole, while its pay-TV penetration, at 64 percent of households, is among the highest in the world, notes Luis Portela, Analyst at Pyramid Research and co-author of the report. "The number of double-play connections will continue to increase over the forecast period at a 3.2 percent CAGR through 2014, and triple-play connections will expand nine-fold over the same period," says Portela, "but the latter could expand even faster if telecom and cable companies manage to find an agreement with the regulator over pay-TV and voice service provision." Portela continues: "The high pay-TV penetration in Argentina would make it ripe for multiplay offerings, however, regulations preventing operators from offering IPTV and VoIP services mean that the Argentinean multiplay market is not as developed as it could be." From a service revenue perspective, mobile broadband Internet access is one of the most promising. "Mobile operators are increasingly focusing on this application as the killer application for its 3G network, translating into an estimated 59 percent CAGR over the forecast period, to reach $343 million by 2014," says Portela. "With mobile operators competing for 3G value-added services, near-term mobile capex spending will be driven mainly by continuous network expansion, capacity increases and upgrades to new technologies, such as mobile broadband technologies (UMTS/HSPA). Also, if the regulator allows telecom companies to offer pay-TV services, opportunities in IPTV may arise with Telecom and TelefAAnica." Executive Summary: The Argentinean telecom market generated P32.9bn in service revenue in 2008, a figure that we estimate increased 16% to P38.2bn in 2009, mostly as a result of inflation-driven increases in prices for most services. A roughly 20% depreciation of the peso against the US dollar, however, caused the market to appear to shrink when expressed in US dollar terms, from $10.5bn in 2008 to $10.1bn in 2009. Going forward, we expect the market to grow at a 4.5% CAGR between 2009 and 2014 in US dollar terms. The most significant segment behind this growth will be mobile data, for which revenue will double over the next five years, expanding at a 15.1% CAGR between 2009 and 2014. Increased penetration will let operators deliver more services over the 3G networks launched in 2007, with services such as mobile Internet, music and video expected to grow quickly, as well as data card connectivity, currently being heavily promoted by operators in the country. Fixed broadband Internet will expand at a more modest 7.4% CAGR in the same period, well below the regional average of 13.9%. A new media law that will force cable operators to focus attention on fighting legal battles and potentially selling assets as opposed to expanding their coverage and innovating, as well as telcos' inability to launch IPTV, will ultimately depress adoption of broadband in Argentina. Key Topics Covered: - Executive Summary - Market and Competitor Overview - Argentina in a Regional Context - Economic, Demographic and Political Context - Regulatory Environment - Demand Profile - Service Evolution - Competitive Landscape - Major Market Players - Segment Analysis - Mobile Services - Fixed Services - Pay-TV - Convergence - Identifying Opportunities For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e4c6c9/argentina_regulat Source: Pyramid Research, Inc. CONTACT: Laura Wood, Senior Manager, Research and Markets Fax: +1 646 607 1907 (US) Fax: +353 1 481 1716 (Rest of World) e-mail: [email protected] ((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to [email protected]. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]