The household broadband penetration rate at the end of the second quarter in Ireland stood at 65pc, according to Ireland’s Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg)’s latest report. The mobile market now accounts for almost 74pc of all voice and internet subscriptions.
According to ComReg, average fixed broadband speeds continue to increase. In Q2, about 37.5pc of all fixed broadband subscriptions were equal to or greater than 10Mbps, up from 30.1pc since Q2 2012. Some 29.9pc of all fixed broadband subscriptions were equal to or greater than 30Mbps, up from 19.6pc in Q2 2012.
Broadband subscriptions (fixed and mobile) increased by 0.7pc compared to the same period in 2012.
Total quarterly electronic communications revenues were €896.1m for the quarter and decreased by 4.6pc compared to Q2 of 2012. Within the mobile sector, voice and SMS revenues are decreasing while mobile data revenues are increasing.
Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for mobile services in Q2 2013 was €27 per month, down from €29 in Q2 2012. The drop in ARPU is due, in part, to lower-priced mobile plans and increased sales of bundled products.
There were 5,438,144 mobile service subscriptions at the end of June, which was a decrease of 0.3pc on the previous quarter. Ireland’s mobile penetration rate for the quarter was 118.3pc.
SIMs used for so-called Machine to Machine (M2M) communications accounted for 6.3pc of all mobile subscriptions. Such technologies involve data communication between devices or systems in which human intervention is not a part. They may encompass either wireless or wired communications, or both. Specific examples include traffic lights, alarm systems, ATM machines and vehicle and consignment tracking. ComReg is gathering this new data in order to assess future regulatory needs for M2M connections.
High-speed broadband image via Shutterstock
