
The number of Internet subscribers from fixed lines returned to growth in the third quarter of the year. Data from the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP) show that the number of subscribers at the end of September reached slightly more than 611 thousand, an increase of 1.2% compared to the previous quarter and 7.6% compared to the same period of a year ago.
In recent years, the Internet market from fixed lines has followed a steady upward trend, also due to a relatively low base and the lag in fixed line penetration. Currently, AKEP estimates that the penetration rate of broadband access from fixed networks was over 81% per household, however this report is based on the total number of subscribers, including businesses. On the other hand, according to sources from the market, some operators have the tendency to report higher numbers of subscribers than they actually have, mainly by not reflecting in the statistics the subscribers who leave for other companies. For these reasons, real Internet penetration may be somewhat lower than the statistics indicate.
However, the market in general is showing high growth and competition, especially in large urban centers, where the concentration of population is greater. Also, operators have gradually updated the infrastructure towards newer, fiber optic technologies, which has influenced the increase in the average connection speed for users.
The market volume of communication services from fixed networks last year reached approximately ALL 11 billion, with an increase of 14.5% compared to the previous year.