Philippines: Philippines Communication Profile

With mobile subscriber increase moderating, the Philippines sees large shift to mobile broadband

Increase in the mobile segment of the Philippines telecom market has been moderating next years of strong expansion. Initially the slowing in the market was half due to a general downturn in the Philippine economy; however, even as the economy picked up, it became obvious that mobile subscriber numbers were continuing to increase but at a generally slower pace. Mobile revenue increase as well down in what has for a lot of years been a highly competitive market. Into 2014 the Philippines had around 105 million mobile subscribers. Penetration, having eased completed the 100% milestone, ongoing annual subscriber increase of between 5% and 10% looked to be the pattern in the short term.

Clearly the economy will be an significant factor in the continued expansion of the Philippine telecom sector. Before on, the recession in the US, its major trading partner, had hit exports hard but the country seemed to have generally overcome this setback. Following the large ‘down’ year in 2009, the country’s GDP increase bounced back up again in 2010 reaching almost 8% (even exceeding the 31-year high of 7.3% in 2007). It again fell back to under 4% in 2011. The Philippine economy grew additional strongly again in 2012 (6.8%) and again in 2013 (7.2%) on the back of an development in exports, acceleration in private investment , and a full recovery in government spending. Increase of 6.5% per annum was estimate by the IMF for the 2014/2015 years.

Despite mobile subscriber expansion easing, the operators were continuing to talk positively about the potential of the market. Importantly, it was the mobile segment that remained central to the wider development of the country’s telecom sector. Although the sector was facing challenges there was clearly some energy remaining in it as the major operators rolled out their 3G mobile offerings and looked for improved revenue streams. In 2012 there was as well the initial launching of 4G/LTE services by both PLDT’s Smart and Globe Telecom, reflecting a general optimism in the wider telecom market.

In the meantime the majority encouraging news has been the increased interest in broadband services, with the major players in the local telecom market starting to invest heavily in the expansion of broadband access and looking at both wired and wireless broadband platforms to provide coverage. The request for faster internet access was increasing rapidly in 2012 and into 2013. Around 80% of all internet connections were by presently broadband. In general broadband penetration remained relatively low, however, with only around seven broadband services for each 100 people in the country by the start of 2012. A surge in the sale of smartphones and tablets suggested increasing request ahead for mobile data services.

The country’s fixed-line subscriber penetration has remained essentially stagnant, even suffering decline at times. It has certainly been a long period of difficulties for the fixed-line operators. Despite the concerted effort of both the government and the operators to expand the national fixed network, fixed-line teledensity stood at just over 3% in 2014; only a little additional than half of all Philippine towns and cities had a basic fixed telephone service by that stage.