Report Summary
Our's annual publication, Brazil - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband and Forecasts, profiles the largest market in Latin America and the region's leading investment destination for international operators and suppliers.
In fact, Brazil ranks fifth in the world both in terms of land area and population. It is one of the key emerging markets, and is Latin America's leading investment destination for international operators and suppliers, together with Russia, India, and China; these four economies, collectively nicknamed BRIC, are forecast to dominate world economy by the middle of the twenty-first century.
Brazil's telecom sector has been fully liberalised; there are no restrictions on foreign telecom capital except for cable TV. Competition is encouraged by the government. Mobile telephony is the strongest telecom market, with fixed-to-mobile substitution leaving the fixed-line sector stagnant despite low teledensity. Brazil holds almost one third of all mobile users in Latin America. Mobile penetration is lower than the regional average, and the mobile market is expected to continue to grow despite the financial crisis.
This report presents a concise overview of sector liberalisation and privatisation in Brazil; government initiatives and regulations in the telecom industry; company profiles for the major operators in the various telecom sectors; the development of mobile and broadband technologies; the emergence of convergence and IP solutions; essential country and operator statistics in all telecom sectors; and scenario forecasts for the fixed-line, mobile, and broadband markets.
Key highlights
In Brazil's liberalised fixed-line market, the incumbents continue to dominate the infrastructure but are slowly losing market share to smaller operators. Although slightly higher than average for Latin America, teledensity is only 21%, yet the fixed-line market remains stagnant.
Mobile penetration exceeds 73%, and the mobile market continues to post double-digit growth.
Four companies dominate the Brazilian mobile phone market: Vivo (Telefónica/Portugal Telecom), Claro (América Móvil), TIM Brasil (Telecom Italia), and Oi/Brasil Telecom (locally owned). Together, these four control 98.5% of Brazil's mobile subscriber base.
Compared with other economic indicators, Brazil's Internet penetration is lower than expected, and there is considerable room for growth.
Meanwhile, broadband uptake has been stifled by high prices and weak competition.
Although regulatory issues still await resolution, both pay TV and telephone companies have been active in developing convergence strategies, with several operators offering triple or quadruple play packages.
