Internet, Investments, Lithuania, Markets and Companies, Technology, Telecomunications

Common electronic communications market (based on revenue generated by fixed communications network and services, mobile communications network and services, dedicated lines, Internet access and other data transmission services, lease of unused physical fibres of fibre optic lines, television activities, provision of radio and television programme transmission services and interconnection of electronic communications networks) amounted to LTL 527.51 million (EUR 152.8 million) in the 4th quarter of 2013. Compared to the 3rd quarter of 2013, the market reduced by 2%, and compared to 2012 the market reduced by 5.6% in 2013, informs LETA/ELTA.

Broadband penetration (subscribers per 100 population) reached 38.5% at the end of the 4th quarter of 2013, and went up by 0.4% during the 4th quarter, and by 3.1% during the year. The number of subscribers using broadband Internet access technologies (fixed and mobile) was 1,134,600 at the end of the 4th quarter of 2013, including 838,700 subscribers (73.9%) among them having received broadband Internet access services through public fixed communications networks (both wired and wireless), and 295,900 subscribers (26.1%) – through public mobile communications networks, using computers to connect to them. At the end of the 4th quarter of 2013, 67.9% households used broadband Internet access services.

During the 4th quarter of 2013, the number of subscribers using fibre optic Internet access services grew by 2.6% (11,200 new connections), and by 8.7% per year. The respective number of subscribers using wireless fibre optic Internet access services grew by 6.9% (11.100 new connections) in the 4th quarter, and by 33.8% per year.

Based on the survey of December 2013, conducted by the FTTH Council Europe Association and the company iDate, Lithuania kept its top rating in Europe by broadband fibre optic Internet penetration (33.9%), being No.7 in the world. Lithuania was behind the United Arab Emirates (85% penetration), South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan (63% to 37% penetration).

The speed of broadband Internet is growing: the number of subscribers with guaranteed data download speed of minimum 30 Mb/s has nearly tripled in 3 years. As of 31 December 2013, 30.0% of households could use the internet speed of minimum 30 Mb/s, including 6.1% among them which could use the speeds of more than 100 Mb/s.

At the end of the 4th quarter of 2013, 726,500 subscribers (i.e., 55.5% of total households) used pay-TV services, provided by cable and microwave multi-channel distribution system TV (MMDS) (CTV and MDTV), Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial TV (DVB-T), satellite TV networks, and Internet Protocol TV services (IPTV). Revenue collected for provision of pay-TV services during the 4th quarter of 2013, amounted to LTL 52.96 million (EUR 15.3 million). Compared to the 3rd quarter of 2013, revenue collected for provision of pay-TV services increased by 1.6%, and compared to 2012, it went up by 9.8% in 2013.

Revenue collected for provision of digital TV grew by 2.5% in the 4th quarter of 2013 compared to the 3rd quarter of 2013, and totalled to LTL 36.54 million (EUR 10.6 million), and compared to 2012, this revenue went up by 11.8% in 2013.

Revenue collected in the 4th quarter of 2013 for provision of services of radio and TV programme transmission amounted to LTL 3.85 million (EUR 1.1 million), compared to the 3rd quarter of 2013, it reduced by 4.6%. In terms of revenue, the market of radio and TV programme transmission services of reduced by 42.6% in 2013, if compared to 2012.

Revenue generated for provision of pubic mobile communications networks and public mobile telephone communications services amounted to LTL 204.10 million (EUR 59.1 million) in the 4th quarter of 2013, including revenue of service providers (without own network) of LTL 4.63 million (EUR 1.3 million) or 2.3%. This revenue includes revenue received for network interconnection and revenue received for providing Internet access services through public mobile communications networks to users using computers to connect to them. Compared to the 3rd quarter of 2013, the total revenue received in the 4th quarter of 2013 reduced by 3.2%, and the service provider revenue (without own network) reduced by 4.0%. In terms of revenue, the mobile telephone communications market reduced by 8.3% in 2013, compared to 2012.

The number of active subscribers of public mobile telephone communications services (SIM cards) reduced by 8.5% in the 4th quarter of 2013, and totalled to 4.57 million, i.e, 155.1 subscribers per 100 inhabitants at the end of it, while in a year this number reduced by 8.6%.

Duration of calls initiated in public mobile communications networks reduced by 0.7% in the 4th quarter of 2013, compared to the 3rd quarter of 2013, and totalled to 1,914.76 million minutes. The total duration of calls initiated in public mobile communications networks increased by 2.2% in 2013, compared to 2012.

The volume of data uploaded and downloaded using packet data services of the public mobile communications network grew by 13.2%, compared to the 3rd quarter of 2013, and reached 3,916 terabytes (TB). Compared to 2012, the volume of data uploaded and downloaded in 2013 went up by 45.8%.

In the 4th quarter of 2013, the number of SMS sent was by 14.3% higher (1,818.8 million), and the number of MMS sent was by 2.5% higher (1.61 million) than in the 3rd quarter of 2013. Compared to 2012, the number of SMS sent went down by 6.9%, and the number of MMS sent went up by 6.2%.

During the 4th quarter of 2013, Lithuanian public mobile communications network operators registered 120 GSM/DCS mobile radio communications base stations (71 base stations were deleted from the register), 220 UMTS base stations (6 base stations were deleted from the register), 12 LTE base stations. As of 31 December 2013, there were 3,669 GSM/DCS mobile radio communications base stations, 2,136 UMTS base stations and 155 LTE base stations registered in total, including the new ones. Within one year the number of GSM/DSC mobile radio communications base stations increased by 5.7%, the number of UMTS base stations – by 27.3%, the number of LTE base stations – by 16.5%.

Revenue collected in the 4th quarter of 2013 for provision of pubic fixed communications networks and public fixed telephone communications services amounted to LTL 52.89 million (EUR 15.3 million), including LTL 3.25 million (EUR 0.94 million) or 6.1% collected by alternative public fixed telephone communications service providers. Compared to the previous quarter, the total revenue collected by fixed telephone communications service providers reduced by 1.5%, and the total revenue collected by alternative providers increased by 8.1%. Compared to 2012, in 2013 the total revenue went down by 10.5%, and the total revenue of alternative providers reduced by 23.5%.

The total number of fixed telephone communications lines reduced by 11,100 or 1.8% in the 4th quarter of 2013, and totalled 614,500 lines as of 31 December, 2013. During one year the number of public fixed telephone communications lines reduced by 45,300 or 6.9%.

Compared to the 3rd quarter of 2013, the total flow of calls initiated in fixed telephone communications networks grew by 8.4% in Quarter IV of 2013, and totalled to 278.6 million minutes. Compared to 2012, the duration of initiated calls reduced by 10.6% in 2013.

By the end of the 4th quarter of 2013, 985,900 subscribers, i.e., 21.6% of total active public mobile telephone communications service subscribers, used the number transfer service. During the 4th quarter of 2013, 60,700 numbers were transferred to other mobile communications networks (by 43.3% more than in the 3rd quarter of 2013). By 31 December 2013, 33,800 subscribers, (i.e., 5.4% of total fixed telephone communications subscribers) used the number transfer service. During the 4th quarter of 2013, 1,600 fixed telephone communications numbers were transferred (by 18.5% more than in the 3rd quarter of 2013).