EU28 & OECD mobile internet access competitiveness report Q4 2014
November 2014
Major price movements on both sides of the Atlantic between Q1 and Q4 2014. Smartphone internet usage price rankings, price changes and internet access speeds
EU28, OECD, 41 countries, 69 operator groups, 136 operators, 40 operator discount brands and 84 MVNOs
Digital Fuel Monitor biannual 2014 release, 17th November 2014
Key findings
» Mobile internet prices fell or were mostly flat in 36 out of 41 markets
» The EU28 weighted (by SIMs) average mobile internet usage price while falling by 18% from €5.0 to €4.1 per Gigabyte it is still nearly 60 times higher than the
Finnish price of €0.07 per Gigabyte
» In
US, where 4 to 3 mobile operator consolidation was blocked, prices fell by a double digit compared to 1Q2014
» In the 4 to 3 consolidated
Austrian market prices continued to rise (double digit) compared to 1Q2014
» In the 4 to 3 consolidated
German market key prices rose (double digit) compared to 1Q2014
» In the
UK,
Canada and
Italy prices also increased (double digit)
» By 4Q2014 vertical discrimination (zero-rating gigabyte consumption of operators’ or their partners’ services) was deployed in all markets except
Finland,
Norway,
Island, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania,
Malta,
Chile and
Japan
» Mobile internet access speeds improved in almost all markets and for almost all operators
» In
Finland prices were the lowest (€0.07 per Gigabyte), speeds the second fastest (10.7 Mbps), monthly mobile data consumption per capita was the highest (2.9 Gigabyte) and mobile broadband penetration the highest (123%)
» In October 2013 EU28 overtook
US in terms of weighted average mobile internet access speed (the gap is widening)
The most alarming finding by far was sharp hikes in the price of mobile internet usage (€/Gigabyte) by operators that have launched during 2014 own zero-rated data-hungry video services such as on-demand film stores and mobile TV. Similarly a European operator that has launched zero-rated unlimited YouTube access over 4G has at the same time tripled the price of open mobile internet usage (€/Gigabyte). Zero-rated operator video is an offer consumers cannot refuse if the only available alternative i.e. watching video with their open internet smartphone plans would set them back few hundred EUR per month. That is clear!
Downloads
The full dataset of the second 2014 release is available on the updated DFMonitor site for subscribers. In addition DFmonitor subscribers can download the following premium documents:
Subscription content
EU28_OECD_mobile_internet_access_competitiveness_report_Q4_2014.pdf »
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EU28_OECD_mobile_internet_usage_price_rankings_speeds_countries_Q1_2014.pdf »
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EU28_OECD_mobile_internet_usage_price_rankings_speeds_countries_Q4_2014.pdf »
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Subscription content
EU28_OECD_mobile_internet_usage_price_rankings_speeds_operators_Q1_2014.pdf »
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Subscription content
EU28_OECD_mobile_internet_usage_price_rankings_speeds_operators_Q4_2014.pdf »
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Free content
EU28_OECD_mobile_internet_access_competitiveness_report_Q4_2014_PUBLIC.pdf»
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Free content
EU28_OECD_mobile_internet_usage_price_rankings_speeds_countries_Q4_2014_PUBLIC.pdf »
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Free content
EU28_OECD_mobile_internet_usage_price_rankings_speeds_operators_Q4_2014_PUBLIC.pdf »
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Main features of the DFMonitor interactive website’s second release for 2014 are summarized below
» Updated Q4 mobile internet access prices for unlimited minute and SMS smartphone and data-only plans for 41 countries, 136 operators, 40 operator discount brands and 84 MVNOs
» Smartphone internet usage price rankings for 41 countries, 69 operator groups and 136 operators
» Price change for 41 countries and 136 operators
» Historic trend of mobile internet usage price and internet access speed for 41 countries and 136 operators
» EU28 roaming mobile internet usage (€/Gigabyte) price for 93 EU operators
» Mobile data consumption per capita and mobile broadband population penetration per country
» Detailed list of all vertically discriminated (zero-rated) or bundled operator (operator partner) services such as video/TV, cloud storage, music streaming, messaging and social network for 136 operators
» Detailed list of all bundled or promoted operator (operator partner) services, content or applications such as video/TV, cloud storage, music streaming, messaging and social network for 136 operators
Future analysis
During the next three months we will publish a number of focused insights with detailed analysis on the key findings we presented herein. The insights will cover a variety of themes such as price developments in consolidated markets, development in markets with major price movements e.g. US, Canada, EU, mobile internet roaming prices, zero-rated services in OECD countries and last but not least our thoughts about vertical discrimination (integration) in the telecom industry and what that might entail for future investments in internet access networks versus investments in vertically integrated proprietary broadband networks.