WASHINGTON: The postal and telecommunications sector reported revenue of $252,63 million, a decrease of 4 percent from the $262,9 million due to the continued decline in mobile traffic in favour of Over The Top (OTT) Services.
According to stats availed by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, mobile voice traffic declined by 1,4 percent to 1 256 028 458 minutes from 1 274 290,859 minutes recorded in the previous quarter as subscribers continue to migrate towards cheaper OTT services. Fixed voice traffic also declined 3,5 percent to 164 025 120 minutes from 169 948 500 minutes recorded in the previous quarter.
The telecoms industry has been hit by a combination of sluggish economic conditions, a regulated fall in traditional revenue streams (mobile phone tariffs) and availability of cheaper options. At the same time expected content and connectivity-related revenues have not risen quickly enough to compensate for the declining revenues.
Active mobile subscribers in the second quarter of 2015 were 11 949 791. This represents a 0,8 percent increase from 11 859 155 subscribers in the previous quarter. Fixed telephone subscribers increased by 1,1 percent to reach 332 866 from 329 252 recorded in the previous quarter.
The number of active internet subscriptions as at the second quarter of 2015 was 5 815 518, a 0,6 percent increase from 5 782 491 recorded in the previous quarter. Potraz said more investment in the quarter was towards fibre.
“Total investment in the sector in the second quarter was $46 164 290. Much of the investment by IAPs has been in fibre due to the growing demand for high speed internet. This has seen operators increasing their equipped to international internet bandwidth capacity to meet the growing demand,” said Potraz.
