Summary
This report covers developments in Europe's wireless broadband market, assessing the relative strengths of the principal delivery platforms. It presents regional and national statistics and analyses the market conditions which will affect how the sector is likely to progress in coming years. The increasing demand for broadband access among consumers, the regulatory emphasis on deregulation and competition, and the general move within Europe for broadband to be a universal service has focused greater attention on wireless solutions to complement fixed-line networks.
Despite continuing upgrades to cable and DSL networks, and the near-ubiquity of broadband in urban areas, there remain pockets within Europe where broadband is poor or unavailable. In these areas, WiMAX continues to provide a realistic alternative platform, while mobile broadband, based largely on HSPA technology and, from 2010, on LTE networks, will be able to compete with the fastest copper fixed-line offers now available. The EC and national regulators have also placed greater emphasis on releasing digital dividend spectrum for wireless broadband as it becomes available in individual markets during the next few years.
The European Commission has encouraged the development of wireless broadband as part of its i2010 Plan. In most countries, WiMAX services operate in licences-exempt frequency bands. To make access to the Internet more widespread, the EC opened substantial radio spectrum throughout the EU for wireless broadband. Access to spectrum aimed to make equipment cheaper and alleviate the overloading of spectrum already used for this purpose.
The countries covered in this report include: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia (FYROM), Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and United Kingdom.
Key highlights:
France
Since 2000 the French government has implemented policies to boost investment in wireless network alternatives to France Telecom's local loop. Following the first round of licences, in 2000, the platform largely failed as a result of a low demand for wireless services and the ill-prepared business plans of the operators. By 2008 a second round of licences had been awarded to 14 municipalities and five telcos. About 70% of transmission sites must be in non-urban zones, thus addressing ¡®dead' zones with no DSL coverage. The French government received€125 million in licensing fees, and it will also collect annual fees from the operators for the provision and use of frequencies. Although the new licenses gave credence to the renewed momentum in wireless broadband and of the regulator's adaption of spectrum management methods, operators have made little headway in physical deployments, prompting the regulator to set a number of targets for December 2010.
Germany
Germany provided licensed WLL services as early as 1999, though despite early promise the platform did not take off, inhibited by costly hardware and poor marketing strategies among operators. In 2002 a number of failed enterprises had return their licenses, but by 2004 renewed interest enabled the regulator to proceed with awarding three licences in the 3.5GHz band, primarily for subscriber access. The licensees were given strict coverage targets, incorporating 25% of communes by 2011.
The UK
Spectrum is a major asset to the UK, and the anticipated availability of spectrum in the lower frequency band from 2012, following the switch-off of analogue TV, will provide an opportunity for operators to deliver broadband services to both remote and urban areas currently underserved by fixed-line infrastructure. This would also go some way to meeting the government's Digital Britain target of providing a service of at least 2Mb/s for every household by 2010. Demand from commercial operators for certain frequencies already exceeds availability. Since 2004 the regulator has aimed at removing specific licence requirements from defined frequency allocations and allowed the market to determine which services were offered. It has also hoped to address the dearth of spectrum by auctioning spectrum in several bands, including spectrum in the 10GHz, 28GHz, 32GHz and 40GHz frequencies on a technology and application-neutral basis (except for licences for 10GHz frequencies which will be restricted to fixed systems and wireless cameras).
Data in this report is the latest available at the time of preparation and may not be for the current year.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. EUROPE'S WIRELESS BROADBAND MARKET 1
1.1 Overview 1
1.2 Regulatory and government support 1
1.3 Mobile competition 2
1.4 Spectrum management 3
1.4.1 900MHz
1.4.2 450MHz
1.4.3 2.6GHz
1.4.4 Other spectrum
1.5 LTE in Europe 5
1.6 Mobile broadband 5
1.6.1 Mobile broadband technologies
1.6.2 New business models needed
1.6.3 Cross-platform integration
1.6.4 Merging mobile and fixed broadband
1.7 WiFi 7
1.8 WiMAX 8
1.8.1 WiMAX developments
1.9 Vendors 9
1.10 Internet via satellite 10
1.11 Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS) 11
2. ALBANIA 12
2.1 Overview 12
3. AUSTRIA 13
3.1 Wireless Local Loop (WLL) 13
3.2 450MHz frequency band 13
3.3 Wireless LANs/WiFi 14
3.3.1 Metronet/T-Mobile Austria
3.3.2 Orange
3.4 WiMAX 15
3.5 Internet via satellite 15
4. BELARUS 16
4.1 Overview 16
5. BELGIUM 17
5.1 Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) 17
5.2 WLAN/WiFi 17
5.3 WiMAX 18
6. BULGARIA 19
6.1 Overview 19
6.2 WiMAX 19
6.2.1 Carrier.BG
6.2.2 Nexcom
6.2.3 Max Telecom
6.2.4 MTel
6.2.5 TransTelecom/One
7. CROATIA 21
7.1 Overview 21
7.2 WiFi 21
7.3 WiMAX 21
8. CYPRUS 22
8.1 Overview 22
9. CZECH REPUBLIC 23
9.1 Overview 23
9.2 WiFi 23
9.3 WLL 23
9.4 Internet via satellite 23
9.5 WiMAX 24
10. DENMARK 25
10.1 Overview 25
10.2 WiMAX 25
10.3 Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) 26
10.4 Satellite 26
11. ESTONIA 27
11.1 Overview 27
11.2 WiFi 27
11.3 WiMAX 27
12. FINLAND 28
12.1 Wireless LANS 28
12.1.1 Radionet
12.1.2 TeliaSonera
12.1.3 Municipalities
12.2 WiMAX/WiFi 29
12.3 Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) 29
13. FRANCE 31
13.1 WLL 31
13.2 First round 31
13.3 Second round 31
13.4 WiMAX players 32
13.5 WLAN/WiFi 33
13.5.1 SFR/neuf Cegetel
13.5.2 Orange
13.5.3 Boingo
13.6 Public Analogue Mobile Radio (PAMR) 35
13.7 Internet via satellite 35
14. GERMANY 37
14.1 WLL 37
14.2 WiMAX/WiFi 37
14.3 Operators 38
14.3.1 Deutsche Bahn trials
14.4 Wireless LANS 39
14.4.1 The Cloud
14.4.2 Vodafone
14.4.3 O2
14.4.4 T-Com
14.5 Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) 40
14.6 PAMR 40
14.7 Internet via satellite 40
15. GREECE 42
15.1 Overview 42
15.2 WiFi 42
15.3 WiMAX 42
16. HUNGARY 44
16.1 WiFi 44
16.2 Internet via satellite 44
17. ICELAND 45
17.1 Local Multipoint Distribution Services (LMDS) 45
17.2 WiFi/WiMAX 45
18. IRELAND 46
18.1 Overview 46
18.2 1.7GHz band 46
18.3 10.5GHz band 46
18.4 Digiweb 47
18.5 National Fixed Wireless Point to Multipoint Licences (FWPMA) 47
18.5.1 26GHz band
18.5.2 3.5GHz band
18.6 Other developments 48
18.7 Other bands 49
18.8 WiFi 49
18.9 WiMAX 49
18.10 WiFibre 50
18.11 Internet via satellite 50
18.11.1 SchoolSat
19. ITALY 51
19.1 WLL 51
19.2 Wireless LANs/WiFi 51
19.2.1 AFT-Linkem
19.2.2 Telecom Italia
19.3 WiMAX 52
19.3.1 Auction for 3.5GHz licences
19.4 Internet via satellite 53
20. LATVIA 55
20.1 Overview 55
20.2 WiMAX 55
20.3 WiFi 55
21. LITHUANIA 56
21.1 Overview 56
21.2 WiFi 56
21.3 WiMAX 56
22. LUXEMBOURG 57
22.1 WLL 57
22.2 WLAN/WiFi/WiMAX 57
22.3 Internet via satellite 57
23. MACEDONIA (FYROM) 58
23.1 WiFi 58
23.2 WiMAX 58
24. MALTA 59
24.1 WiFi 59
24.2 WiMAX 59
25. MONTENEGRO 61
25.1 Overview 61
26. NETHERLANDS 62
26.1 ¡®Peoples' network 62
26.2 WLL 62
26.3 Wireless LANs/WiFi 62
26.3.1 Dutch rail
26.4 WiMAX 63
26.5 Internet via satellite 64
26.5.1 New Skies Satellites
27. NORWAY 65
27.1 2.3GHz band 65
27.2 Wireless LANs 65
27.3 WiFi 65
27.4 WiMAX 66
27.5 Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) 66
27.6 Internet via satellite 66
28. POLAND 68
28.1 WiFi 68
28.2 WiMAX 68
28.3 Internet via satellite 69
29. PORTUGAL 70
29.1 WLL 70
29.2 WiFi 70
30. ROMANIA 71
30.1 WLL 71
30.2 WiFi 71
31. RUSSIA 72
31.1 Overview 72
31.2 WiFi 72
31.3 WiMAX 72
31.3.1 Start Telecom
31.3.2 Synterra Telecom
31.3.3 Enforta/Prestige Internet
31.3.4 MetroMAX
31.3.5 Summa Telecom
31.3.6 Virgin
31.3.7 Comstar-UTS
31.3.8 Other ISPs
31.4 Internet via satellite 75
32. SERBIA 76
32.1 WiMAX 76
32.2 WiFi 76
32.3 Kosovo 76
33. SLOVAKIA 77
33.1 Overview 77
33.2 WiFi 77
33.3 WiMAX 77
34. SLOVENIA 79
34.1 Overview 79
35. SPAIN 80
35.1 Overview 80
35.2 WLL 80
35.3 WiFi 80
35.4 WiMAX 81
35.5 Internet via satellite 81
36. SWEDEN 83
36.1 Overview 83
36.2 Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) 83
36.2.1 Licences
36.2.2 3.6-3.8GHz
36.2.3 Other developments
36.3 Wireless LANS 84
36.3.1 TeliaSonera
36.4 WiFi/WiMAX 84
36.5 Satellite 85
37. SWITZERLAND 86
37.1 Overview 86
37.2 Wireless LANS 86
37.2.1 WiMAX/WiFi
37.2.2 Hospitality services
37.2.3 Swisscom Mobile
37.2.4 Cablecom
37.3 Satellite 88
38. UKRAINE 89
38.1 WiFi 89
38.2 WiMAX 89
38.2.1 Alternet
38.2.2 Golden Telecom
38.2.3 Technological Systems
38.2.4 PAN Wireless
38.3 Internet via satellite 90
39. UNITED KINGDOM 91
39.1 Regulatory environment 91
39.2 Spectrum 900/1800MHz 92
39.3 Spectrum 1452/1492MHz 93
39.4 Spectrum 2.6GHz 93
39.5 Spectrum 3.4GHz 93
39.6 Spectrum 5.8GHz 94
39.7 Spectrum 10GHz 94
39.8 Spectrum 28GHz 95
39.9 Spectrum 71-86GHz 95
39.10 Other spectrum awards 95
39.11 Digital dividend spectrum 95
39.12 WLAN/WiFi 96
39.12.1 Overview
39.12.2 Major players
39.12.2.1 The Cloud
39.12.2.2 British Telecom
39.12.2.3 Hospitality Services
39.12.2.4 T-Mobile
39.12.2.5 Broadreach Networks
39.12.2.6 Inspired Broadcast Networks
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter number: on page number:
39.12.2.7 Interoute
39.12.2.8 O2
39.13 WiMAX 99
39.13.1 BT
39.13.2 UK Broadband
39.13.3 Freedom4
39.13.4 Libera
39.13.4.1 On-Communications
39.13.5 Metropolitan WiMAX
39.13.5.1 Brighton
39.13.5.2 London
39.13.5.3 Bristol
39.13.5.4 Canterbury
39.13.5.5 Manchester
39.13.5.6 Other projects
39.14 Internet via satellite 103
39.14.1 Overview
39.14.2 One-way
39.14.3 Two-way
39.14.4 Ultra-Wideband (UWB) devices
39.14.4.1 Radiation and 3G interference
40. GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS 106
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1-WLL connections in select European countries-2007-2008 1
Table 2-WLAN hotspots by population-2008 2
Table 3-Main broadband satellite markets-2006-2008 10
Table 4-Fixed-line wireless broadband subscribers in Austria-2007-2008 13
Table 5-WLL broadband subscribers in Belgium-2005-2008 17
Table 6-Max Telecom financial data-2006-2007 20
Table 7-WiMAX subscribers by operator in Denmark-2006-2007 25
Table 8-WLAN subscribers in Finland-2004-2008 28
Table 9-WiMAX operators and deployments 3.4-3.8GHz band in France-September 2008 31
Table 10-WiMAX licensees by operator in France 32
Table 11-Satellite broadband subscribers in Germany-2005-2008 41
Table 12-Wireless broadband subscribers in Iceland-2004-2007 45
Table 13-Wireless broadband subscribers in Ireland-2005-2008 46
Table 14-Wireless hotspots and access points in Ireland-2007-2008 49
Table 15-Wireless broadband subscribers by platform in Lithuania-September 2008 56
Table 16-Forecast WiMAX network national coverage timetable, by operator in Malta-2007-2009 59
Table 17-WiMAX subscribers in Malta-2007-2008 60
Table 18-WiFi hotspots by major players in the Netherlands-May 2008 62
Table 19-WLAN subscribers in Norway-2000-2007 65
Table 20-WiFi hotspots in operation in Spain-2005-2007 81
Table 21-Mobile broadband subscribers in Sweden-2006-2008 83
Table 22-Tele2 mobile broadband subscribers and ARPU-2007-2008 83
Table 23-Broadband satellite connections (historic) in Switzerland-2002-2004 88
Table 24-WiFi hotspots by operator in the UK-June 2008 97
Table 25-Freedom4 financial data-2006-2008 100
LIST OF TABLES
Table number: on page number:
Table 1-WLL connections in select European countries-2007-2008 1
Table 2-WLAN hotspots by population-2008 2
Table 3-Main broadband satellite markets-2006-2008 10
Table 4-Fixed-line wireless broadband subscribers in Austria-2007-2008 13
Table 5-WLL broadband subscribers in Belgium-2005-2008 17
Table 6-Max Telecom financial data-2006-2007 20
Table 7-WiMAX subscribers by operator in Denmark-2006-2007 25
Table 8-WLAN subscribers in Finland-2004-2008 28
Table 9-WiMAX operators and deployments 3.4-3.8GHz band in France-September 2008 31
Table 10-WiMAX licensees by operator in France 32
Table 11-Satellite broadband subscribers in Germany-2005-2008 41
Table 12-Wireless broadband subscribers in Iceland-2004-2007 45
Table 13-Wireless broadband subscribers in Ireland-2005-2008 46
Table 14-Wireless hotspots and access points in Ireland-2007-2008 49
Table 15-Wireless broadband subscribers by platform in Lithuania-September 2008 56
Table 16-Forecast WiMAX network national coverage timetable, by operator in Malta-2007-2009 59
Table 17-WiMAX subscribers in Malta-2007-2008 60
Table 18-WiFi hotspots by major players in the Netherlands-May 2008 62
Table 19-WLAN subscribers in Norway-2000-2007 65
Table 20-WiFi hotspots in operation in Spain-2005-2007 81
Table 21-Mobile broadband subscribers in Sweden-2006-2008 83
Table 22-Tele2 mobile broadband subscribers and ARPU-2007-2008 83
Table 23-Broadband satellite connections (historic) in Switzerland-2002-2004 88
Table 24-WiFi hotspots by operator in the UK-June 2008 97
Table 25-Freedom4 financial data-2006-2008 100
LIST OF EXHIBITS
Exhibit 1-Regional WLL licences in 3.5GHz spectrum by operator in Austria-2004 13
Exhibit 2-450MHz frequency allocation procedure in Austria-2006 14
Exhibit 3-WiMAX spectrum licences in Belgium-2001-2005 18
Exhibit 4-Orange and SFR WiFi plans compared in France 34
Exhibit 5-WiMAX licensees in Italy-March 2008 53
Exhibit 6-Narrowband and broadband wireless licensees in Spain-2000 80
Exhibit 7-Wireless opportunities using technology and frequencies in the UK 91
Exhibit 8-Spectrum auction results 10GHz in the UK-February 2008 94
Exhibit 9-WLAN operator business models in the UK-2008 97
