BRASILIA: Brazil reported a total of 282.45 million active mobile lines at the end of June, down 0.6 percent from the previous month, the National Telecommunications Agency, or Anatel, said.
That figure, however, was up 2.4 percent over the same month of 2014.
Despite the contraction, for the first time in 10 years the post-paid segment accounted for one-quarter or more of all active mobile lines: 71.02 million lines, or 25.15 percent of the total.
Brazil had 211.43 million pre-paid cellular lines at the close of last month, accounting for 74.85 percent of the total, Anatel said in a report Tuesday, adding that there were 1.38 mobile lines per inhabitant.
The regulator said 1.69 million pre-paid mobile lines were disconnected in June.
Vivo, the local unit of Spain’s Telefonica, remained the market leader with 82.65 million cellular customers, down from 83.08 million in May, while TIM Brasil, controlled by Telecom Italia, remained second with 74.6 million mobile customers, down from 75.2 million in May.
Vivo’s market share rose slightly from 29.24 percent to 29.26 percent, while TIM Brasil’s share fell from 26.49 percent to 26.41 percent.
Claro, a unit of Mexico’s America Movil, saw its mobile customer base fall from 71.6 million to 71.2 million, although its market share inched up from 25.2 percent to 25.21 percent.
Brazilian mobile operator Oi reported 50.23 million mobile customers at the end of June, down from 50.54 million at the end of May, while its market share shrank slightly from 17.79 percent to 17.78 percent. —- EFE
