An Overview of Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband Market Developments in Balkans West

2008 Europe - Telecoms, Mobile and BroadbandIPTV offering overshadows the pay TV market
Report ( ) includes developments indespite its third place ranking in terms of
telecommunications, mobile, Internet, broadband,subscribers, due to the reach of its fixed-line
digital TV and converging media includingnetwork and its financial resources. During 2009
broadband, triple play, IPTV as well as 3Gand 2010 BuddeComm expects consolidation to
developments.take place due to competition and the size of
This report presents an overview of the telecomMontenegro’s market.
markets in what are arguably some of EasternUse of e-government services is growing
Europe’s most promising, including anyear-on-year in Cyprus, as individuals and the
assessment of sector liberalisation andmajority of businesses utilise the Internet for
privatisation, together with the key regulatoryinteraction and transactions with administrative
measures which affect competition andbodies. Similar e-government initiatives are
investment. Emerging players in liberalised marketsunderway in all other countries, with support
are introduced and new infrastructurecoming from the EU. As Internet take up
deployments covered. The important broadbandincreases, usage of e-government and other
market is assessed, along with forecasts forInternet society services is expected to rise.
broadband growth to 2018 in Croatia and CyprusMobile operators in region are beginning to focus
based on factors such as network investment,on mobile data, leveraging the now widely-available
the regulatory environment and consumerEDGE/WCDMA/HSDPA networks to launch
demand. The report provides essential statisticsaggressively priced mobile broadband services
covering the broadband, mobile and digital TVwith prepaid data bundles. This trend is more
sectors, highlighting technological developmentsevident in highly-penetrated markets where
and the emergence of media convergence andcompeting operators have deployed WCDMA
triple play offerings.HSDPA networks such as in Croatia, Cyprus,
Macedonia’s largest competing broadbandMontenegro and Serbia. Competition is expected
provider, which despite possessing a wirelessto force down prices and increase prepaid data
broadband network providing 95% populationbundles as revenue growth opportunities fade in
coverage, is constructing its own ADSL2+highly-penetrated mobile voice markets. As mobile
network over which it plans to offer VoIPbroadband tariff prices fall, in the medium term
services. Montenegro’s pay TV market hasthe mobile operators will be competing
developed overnight as a number of cablehead-to-head with the fixed and portable wireless
operators launched operations after receivingproviders.
licences in 2007. However, the incumbent’s