Cable is fastest-growing broadband platform in Ireland

21 Jun 2011

The latest quarterly figures from ComReg reveal cable broadband showed the largest growth in the broadband market. Cable broadband grew 33.4pc, followed by mobile broadband, which was up 20pc.

According to the latest ComReg quarterly report, fixed broadband revenues have been revised for the periods Q3 2010, and Q4 2010 from €73,671,631 and €77,659,349 to €74,438,851 and €78,530,079 respectively, due to revised data received from a broadband operator.

When compared with the previous quarter, total quarterly revenues of €949m declined by 5pc but remained relatively unchanged on the previous year.

Total voice traffic (fixed and mobile) declined by 3.8pc to just more than 4.5bn voice minutes this quarter.

Internet and broadband subscriptions

Internet and broadband subscriptions increased to 1,655,107 and 1,624,503 respectively. Both cable and mobile broadband continued to drive total broadband growth.

Mobile broadband now represents 36.4pc of all broadband subscriptions, second only to digital subscriber lines (44.9pc of all broadband subscriptions).

However, DSL subscriptions declined for the first time this quarter by 3,866.

Narrowband subscriptions continued to fall (to 40,604) and now represent 2.4pc of all internet subscriptions.

The fixed broadband per capita penetration rate reached 23.1pc. The total broadband per capita penetration rate (including mobile broadband) was 36.3pc.

Consumer adoption of higher (advertised) broadband speeds continues, with 80.4pc and 10.7pc of all broadband subscriptions now in the 2-10Mbps and more than 10Mbps category, compared to 78.9pc, and 6.9pc, this time last year.

Mobile subscriptions (including mobile broadband) increased to 5,412,551, up from 5,273,313 in the previous quarter.

The amount of mobile numbers ported in Q1 2011 was 107,399. On average, there were 93,496 numbers ported over the last 12 months.

It is estimated that about 73pc of homes with TVs in Ireland received a digital TV service by May 2011.

broadband

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com