USA - Telecoms, IP Networks, Digital Media and Forecasts

• Publication date: February 2013
• Report size: 79 pages

Impressive LTE deployments masking fixed-line broadband crisisBuddeComm’s annual publication, USA - Telecoms, IP Networks, Digital Media and Forecasts, provides a comprehensive overview of the trends and developments in the telecommunications and digital media markets in one of the world’s largest markets. The report includes the regulator’s market data updates, telcos’ financial and operating data to the end of 2012, and market developme...

Impressive LTE deployments masking fixed-line broadband crisisBuddeComm’s annual publication, USA - Telecoms, IP Networks, Digital Media and Forecasts, provides a comprehensive overview of the trends and developments in the telecommunications and digital media markets in one of the world’s largest markets. The report includes the regulator’s market data updates, telcos’ financial and operating data to the end of 2012, and market developments to early 2013.

Mobile market overview

Despite the growth in data use, Americans still pay almost twice as much for mobile services than do customers in Europe and the Asia Pacific region. High cost is partly due to the lack of effective competition in many areas, with dominant players increasing charges regardless of the falling cost of delivering data. Sector revenue is continuing to migrate to data rather than voice, a trend which will escalate further in 2013 following the introduction of VoLTE services. Over the next five years data volume is expected to grow tenfold, particularly through customer use of rich media, video teleconferencing, mobile video, mobile computing, mobile business solutions and remote health monitoring. Given the paucity of spectrum available, operators will need to develop new business models on network architecture, including upgrades to fiber backhaul and an escalation in the number of microcells.

Broadband market overview

Following the success of Google’s FttH offering in Kansas City, the FCC has called for all 50 states to build at least one community offering a 1Gb/s service by 2015. The ‘Gigabit City Challenge’ is aimed at encouraging providers, state and municipal officials to collaborate in developing faster networks serving as hubs for innovation and economic growth. Thus far there are more than 40 gigabit communities in 14 states. The fast-growing FttH sector is still driven by a growing number of municipal and regional enterprises while the two dominant telcos, having adopted a hybrid fiber/copper network, have all but completed their network upgrades. This has left million of Americans with little prospect of benefitting from FttH, while in many areas broadband will only be available via expensive LTE alternatives.

Key telecom parameters – 2010; 2013
Sector | 2010 | 2013 |
Subscribers by sector (million): |
Fixed broadband subscribers | 85.7 | 95.5 |
Mobile phone | 302 | 327 |
Penetration by sector: |
Fixed broadband | 27% | 32% |
Mobile | 97% | 110% |
(Source: BuddeComm)

Market Highlights

Google’s deployment of 1Gb/s broadband services in Kansas City has spurred regional investments elsewhere, often concentrated in university campuses of municipalities such as Seattle.
The FCC has called for all 50 states to build at least one community offering a 1Gb/s service by 2015. The ‘Gigabit City Challenge’ is aimed at promoting business and innovation.
The number of cable broadband subscribers in stable though cord cutting is notable as customers ditch cable TV for OTT alternatives.
Access to spectrum remains the key to LTE deployment. While mobile data traffic is expected to increase 10-fold by 2016, the FCC has also projected a 275MHz shortfall in required spectrum by 2014 if no further spectrum allocations are made. Operators have endeavoured to secure available spectrum and rationalise their regional holdings through swaps and purchases.This report is essential reading for those needing high level strategic information and objective analysis on the telecom sector in USA.

It provides further information on:

Market liberalisation and regulatory issues;
The impact of the global economic crisis;
Telecoms operators – privatisation, acquisitions, new licences;
Mobile data market developments in coming years in light of spectrum auctions and new license awards;
4G developments, regulatory issues and technologies including HSPA and LTE;
Broadband migration to an FttH architecture;
Historical and current subscriber statistics and forecasts;ARPU statistics and forecasts.Data in this report is the latest available at the time of preparation and may not be for the current year.

Broadband Industry in the United States

Table of Contents

1. Fibre-To-The-Home (FttH) Market
1.1 Market analysis
1.2 Market overview
1.3 FttH network rollout
1.4 Policy and regulation framework
1.4.1 National broadband plan
1.4.2 Network Neutrality regulation
1.5 Public (ILEC, CLEC and Municipal) FttH networks
1.5.1 Municipalities
1.6 RBOC FttH roll-out
1.6.1 Verizon
1.6.2 AT&T
1.6.3 CenturyLink
1.6.4 Regulatory considerations
2. Broadband Market
2.1 Broadband market overview
2.2 Broadband market statistics
2.3 Policy and regulation framework
2.3.1 Network regulation overview
2.3.2 Broadband stimulus package
2.3.3 FCC’s National Broadband Plan
2.3.4 Gigabit City Challenge
2.3.5 Universal Service Fund
2.3.6 Private networks
2.4 Cable broadband
2.4.1 Cable broadband statistics
2.5 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
2.5.1 DSL overview
2.5.2 Verizon
2.5.3 AT&T
2.5.4 Frontier Communications
2.5.5 DSL statistics
2.6 PLC
2.7 Fixed wireless broadband
2.7.1 Overview
2.7.2 WiFi
2.7.3 WiMAX
2.7.4 Municipal wireless broadband
2.7.5 State deployments
2.7.6 Satellite broadband
3. Digital Media/Digital Economy
3.1 E-services
3.1.1 E-entertainment
3.1.2 E-health
3.1.3 E-government
3.1.4 E-education
3.2 E-commerce, m-commerce and online advertising
3.2.1 E-commerce
4. Mobile Communications
4.1 Market overview and analysis
4.1.1 Public Safety Network
4.2 Regulator support
4.3 Mobile statistics
4.3.1 Market statistics
4.3.2 Mobile carrier statistics
4.3.3 ARPU statistics
4.4 Spectrum developments
4.4.1 800MHz
4.4.2 2GHz
4.4.3 700MHz
4.5 Mobile network operators
4.5.1 Industry body
4.5.2 AT&T
4.5.3 Verizon
4.5.4 T-Mobile
4.5.5 MetroPCS
4.5.6 Sprint
4.5.7 MVNOs
4.6 Mobile broadband developments
4.6.1 Third Generation mobile (3G)
4.6.2 High Seed Packet Access (HSPA)
4.6.3 4G network investments
4.6.4 Fixed-line backhaul
4.6.5 Long-term Evolution (LTE)
4.7 Mobile data applications
4.7.1 Overview
4.7.2 Mobile internet
4.7.3 Mobile music
4.7.4 Mobile TV
4.7.5 Mobile VoIP
4.7.6 Non-voice messaging
4.7.7 Push-to-Talk (PTT)
4.7.8 Smartphone market
4.7.9 Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
4.7.10 M-payment
4.7.11 M-commerce
5. Forecasts
5.1 Forecasts - FttH
5.2 Forecasts - Broadband
5.2.1 Overview
5.3 Forecasts - Mobile
6. Glossary of Abbreviations



List of Tables, Charts and Exhibits

Table 1 – FttH homes passed and connected – 2001 - 2012
Table 2 – FttH market share by type of provider – 2006 - 2010
Table 3 – Non-RBOC and overall FttH take-up rates – 2002 – 2013
Table 4 - US internet users and penetration – 2000 – 2013
Table 5 – Broadband (fixed and fixed wireless) subscribers and penetration – 2000 - 2013
Table 6 – Broadband use by demographic profile – 2005; 2008; 2010, 2012
Table 7 – Broadband lines by major technology – 2005 - 2010
Table 8 – Top cable and DSL providers, subscribers and market share – 2011
Table 9 – Top cable and DSL providers, subscribers and market share – 2011
Table 10 – USA broadband penetration and OECD ranking – 2001 - 2012
Table 11 – Population with access to fixed broadband, by speed – Jun 2012
Table 12 – US cable industry infrastructure expenditure – 2000 - 2011
Table 13 – Top 10 cable MSOs’ coverage, subscribers and penetration by technology – 2010; 2012
Table 14 – US cable modem subscribers and annual change – 2000 - 2012
Table 15 – Subscribers for top cable modem providers – 2005 - 2012
Table 16 – Average DSL and FttH traffic by subscriber (GB/month) – 2012
Table 17 – Average traffic use by subscriber profile – 2012
Table 18 – Top US telco DSL broadband providers, by subscribers – 2011 - 2012
Table 19 – Top DSL providers, market share – 2011
Table 20 – Verizon wireline (FiOS) operational data – 2010 - 2012
Table 21 – AT&T operational data – 2011 - 2012
Table 22 – Frontier Communications operational data – Sept 2012
Table 23 – DSL subscribers – 2000 - 2012
Table 24 – DSL subscribers by major carrier – 2005 - 2011
Table 25 - Online US video usage – 2011
Table 26 - Top US online video sites statistics – January 2011
Table 27 - Ten largest US social networking sites and forums – 2011
Table 28 - Fastest growing US retail e-commerce categories – 2009 – 2010
Table 29 - Online retail sales – 2003 – 2013
Table 30 – Prepaid subscribers and market share – 2008 - 2012
Table 31 – Mobile market revenue, roamer revenue, ARPU and employees – 2000 - 2012
Table 32 – Mobile subscribers by major operator – 2002 - 2012
Table 33 – Mobile major operator subscriber market share – 2008 - 2011
Table 34 – Mobile traffic – 2008 - 2012
Table 35 – Average local monthly bill and average local call length – 2000 - 2012
Table 36 – AT&T wireless financial data – 2009 - 2012
Table 37 – AT&T wireless financial data by sector– 2010 - 2012
Table 38 – AT&T wireless subscribers – 2009 - 2012
Table 39 – Verizon wireless financial data by sector– 2010 - 2012
Table 40 – Verizon wireless subscribers – 2010 - 2012
Table 41 – T-Mobile USA subscribers – 2009 - 2012
Table 42 – T-Mobile USA ARPU – 2009 - 2012
Table 43 – T-Mobile USA financial data – 2009 - 2012
Table 44 – MetroPSC financial data – 2009 - 2012
Table 45 – Sprint Nextel financial data – 2009 - 2012
Table 46 – Sprint Nextel operating data – 2010 - 2012
Table 47 – Sprint Nextel blended ARPU – 2010 - 2012
Table 48 – Wireless data revenue – 2009 - 2013
Table 49 – Messaging traffic (SMS, MMS) – 2009 - 2012
Table 50 – Handset market share by manufacturer – 2012
Table 51 – Handset market share by platform – 2012
Table 52 – M2M connections – 2009 - 2016
Table 53 - Mobile banking growth by country – 2010 – 2011
Table 54 – Forecast FttH homes passed, connected and penetration – low growth scenario – 2011 - 2016
Table 55 – Forecast FttH homes passed, connected and penetration – high growth scenario – 2011 - 2016
Table 56 – Forecast broadband subscribers and penetration – lower growth scenario – 2010 - 2016
Table 57 – Forecast broadband subscribers and penetration – higher growth scenario – 2010 - 2016
Table 58 – Forecast mobile broadband users and mobile services revenue growth – lower growth scenario – 2011 - 2016
Table 59 – Forecast mobile broadband users and mobile revenue growth – higher growth scenario – 2011 - 2016
Chart 1 – FttH Video homes connected – 2001 – 2012
Chart 2 – Non-RBOC and overall FttH take-up rates – 2002 – 2013
Chart 3 – Broadband (fixed and fixed-wireless) subscribers and penetration – 2000 – 2013
Chart 4 – US cable modem subscribers and annual change – 2002 – 2012
Chart 5 – Verizon wireline (FiOS) operational data – 2010 – 2012
Chart 6 – DSL subscribers – 2002 – 2012
Chart 7 – AT&T wireless financial data – 2009 – 2012
Chart 8 – Verizon wireless financial data by sector– 2010 – 2012
Chart 9 – Verizon wireless subscribers – 2010 – 2012
Chart 10 – T-Mobile USA subscribers – 2009 – 2012
Chart 11 – T-Mobile USA financial data – 2009 – 2012
Chart 12 – Sprint Nextel operating data – 2010 – 2012
Chart 13 – Sprint Nextel blended ARPU – 2010 – 2012
Exhibit 1 – Status of RBOC fiber network build out
Exhibit 2 – Cable broadband drives cable VoIP

Broadband in United States

United States Number Of Broadband Internet Subscribers (`000)

• $ 250
• Industry data
• February 2013

Yearly, From 2003 To 2017
By Business Monitor International
Source: World Bank (International Telecommunications Union (ITU)), Operators, FCC, BMI research

• Industries : Broadband
• Countries : United States

United States Number Of Broadband Internet Subscribers/100 Inhabitants, % Change Y-o-y

• $ 250
• Industry data
• February 2013

Yearly, From 2004 To 2017
By Business Monitor International
Source: World Bank (International Telecommunications Union (ITU)), Operators, FCC, BMI research

• Industries : Broadband
• Countries : United States

United States Number Of Broadband Internet Subscribers, % Change Y-o-y

• $ 250
• Industry data
• February 2013

Yearly, From 2004 To 2017
By Business Monitor International
Source: World Bank (International Telecommunications Union (ITU)), Operators, FCC, BMI research

• Industries : Broadband
• Countries : United States

United States Number Of Broadband Internet Subscribers/100 Inhabitants

• $ 250
• Industry data
• February 2013

Yearly, From 2003 To 2017
By Business Monitor International
Source: World Bank (International Telecommunications Union (ITU)), Operators, FCC, BMI research

• Industries : Broadband
• Countries : United States