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Greece Telecommunications Report Q4 2009Product Type: Market Research ReportPublished by: Business Monitor International Published: September 2009 Product Code: R302-7961 Description BMI’s latest update on the Greek telecoms market contains newly revised forecasts for the country’sfixed-line, broadband and mobile telephony markets. Our forecasts are based on the data published byGreece’s three mobile network operators for the first three months of 2009.In the first three months of 2009, the number of Greek mobile subscribers grew by 3.9% to reach19.585mn; this was equivalent to a mobile penetration rate of 174.7%. The high mobile penetration rate,together with equally high levels of new customer growth, reflect a market with a large number ofinactive prepaid users. Prepaid users represented over 70% of the total mobile user base at the end ofMarch. In June 2009, the government was reported to be considering new legislation, which wouldrequire all prepaid mobile phone users in the country to register their identities with a network operatorbefore activating their SIM card. Although the legislation is aimed at tackling criminal activity, itsimplementation, and the subsequent introduction of a prepaid registration scheme, would likely lead to aninitial significant drop in overall mobile users. Although Greece’s three mobile operators - Vodafone Greece, WIND Hellas and Cosmote, the mobilearm of Greek incumbent OTE - continue to report an increase in mobile customer numbers, the operatorshave suffered in recent months from reduced mobile termination rates and a notable drop in usage levels,caused, in part, by deteriorating economic conditions. These developments have led to a fall in mobileservice revenues and a significant drop in ARPU for all three operators. Recent developments in the Greek telecoms market include the confirmation, in May 2009, that VodafoneGreece and broadband provider Hellas On Line (HOL) planned to combine their respective operationsand to jointly market mobile, fixed-line and DSL services on an exclusive basis. The plan would involveVodafone Greece acquiring a minority stake in HOL in exchange for its existing DSL operations. Vodafone Greece partnered HOL in July 2007 to enter the broadband market by launching convergedfixed/mobile/broadband service bundles. Other recent developments include the news in July that alternative broadband and fixed-line providersOn Telecoms and Vivodi Telecom were close to reaching a merger deal. On Telecoms has offered IPTV,telephony and broadband internet services in Greece since January 2007. The operator delivers itsservices over a combination of LLUs and its own direct fibre network. In April, it was announced that OnTelecoms was entering final negotiations for a proposed merger with DSL and WiMAX ISP Net One.Greece remains in 10th position in BMI’s latest set of Business Environment Rankings for WesternEurope. Greece’s Country Risk score remains relatively low by regional standards. In part, this scorereflects our concerns about Greece’s weak macroeconomic environment Table of Contents
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