United Arab Emirates - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband

Description

UAE’s focus on 5G and fibre helping transition to a knowledge economy

The UAE has one of the fastest median download speeds on 5G networks in the world, and also among the highest fixed broadband speedsates. This is the result of focussed investment in infrastructure in recent years, with an emphasis on fibre as opposed to upgraded copper networks, as well as on 5G. Indeed, the UAE has the second highest 5G take-up globally, behind only China.

This progress is part of a long-term strategy to wean the UAE’s economy away from its dependence on oil, and to be supported more by digital services. To this end, the government has encouraged foreign investment by several means, including the ongoing development of the futuristic Masdar City, and by enabling higher foreign ownership of the two principal telcos Etisalat and du. The rapprochement seen in the October 2020 Abraham Accords Agreement signed between the UAE and Israel will also encourage cross border commerce and telecom traffic, and encourage investment in technology firms and digital services.

1 Key statistics

2 Country overview

3 Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

3.1 Economic considerations and responses
3.2 Subscribers
3.3 Infrastructure

4 Telecommunications market

4.1 Historical overview
4.2 Market analysis
4.3 Abraham Accords Peace Agreement

5 Regulatory environment

5.1 Historic overview
5.2 Regulatory authority
5.3 Royalty payments
5.4 Censorship
5.5 VoIP
5.6 Fixed line developments
5.7 Mobile market developments

6 Mobile market

6.1 Market analysis
6.2 Mobile statistics
6.3 Mobile infrastructure
6.4 Mobile broadband
6.5 Major mobile operators
6.6 Mobile content and applications

7 Fixed broadband market

7.1 Introduction and statistical overview
7.2 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
7.3 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
7.4 Other fixed broadband services

8 Fixed network operators

8.1 Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat)
8.2 Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company/du
8.3 Yahsat

9 Telecommunications infrastructure

9.1 Overview of the national telecom network
9.2 International infrastructure
9.3 Smart infrastructure

10 Appendix Historic Data

11 Glossary of abbreviations

12 Related reports

Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities United Arab Emirates 2021 (e)
Table 2 GDP and inflation in the UAE 2012 2022
Table 3 Change in UAE's telecom revenue by service (AED billion) 2012 2019
Table 4 Growth in the number of mobile number portings 2014 2019
Table 5 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 6 Change in the number and proportion of prepaid mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Table 7 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 8 Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator 2012 2021
Table 9 Etisalat (UAE) mobile revenue and blended ARPU 2016 2021
Table 10 Change in the number of Etisalat's domestic mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Table 11 Change in the number of Etisalat's domestic mobile subscribers by type (million) 2012 2021
Table 12 Development of du's mobile revenue 2012 2021
Table 13 Change in the number of du's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Table 14 du mobile subscribers by type (million) 2020 2021
Table 15 Development of du's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
Table 16 Internet penetration in the UAE 2012 2020
Table 17 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 18 Growth in international internet bandwidth 2012 2020
Table 19 Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers 2012 2021
Table 20 UAE - Fibre broadband market share by operator 2015 2018
Table 21 Decline in the number of DSL subscriptions 2012 2021
Table 22 Increase in the number of Etisalat's fixed broadband subscribers 2012 2021
Table 23 Change in the number of Etisalat's bundle subscribers by type 2016 2021
Table 24 Etisalat group revenue and net profit (AED billion) 2012 2021
Table 25 Development of Etisalat's domestic financial data (AED billion) 2012 2021
Table 26 Decline in the number of Etisalat's fixed line subscribers 2018 2021
Table 27 Development of du's revenue by sector (AED billion) 2012 2021
Table 28 Development of du's financial data (AED billion) 2012 2021
Table 29 Growth in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
Table 30 Historic - UAE - fixed lines in service and teledensity 1995 2011
Table 31 Historic - UAE - internet users and penetration 1998 2011
Table 32 Historic - UAE - fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2001 2011
Table 33 Historic - UAE - domestic and international voice revenue (AED billion) 2008 2015
Table 34 Historic - UAE - international telephone revenues (AED million) 2008 2015
Table 35 Historic - UAE - monthly fixed-line ARPU and MOU 2007 2015
Table 36 Historic - UAE - mobile revenue and ARPU 2008 2015
Table 37 Historic - UAE - mobile subscribers and penetration rate - 1995 - 2011
Table 38 Historic - UAE - prepaid vs postpaid revenue (AED billion) 2008 2015
Table 39 Historic - UAE - prepaid subscribers 2005 2011
Table 40 Historic - UAE - SMS and MMS sent (million messages) 2007 2015
Table 41 Historic - Etisalat group revenue and net profit (AED billion) 2005 2011
Table 42 Historic - du mobile minutes of use (MOU) 2010 2014
Table 43 Historic - du mobile revenue 2008 2011
Table 44 Historic - Decline in the number of DSL subscriptions 2008 2011
Table 45 Historic - Development of du's revenue by sector (AED billion) 2008 2011
Table 46 Historic - Etisalat group revenue and net profit (AED billion) 2009 2011
Table 47 Historic - Change in UAE's telecom revenue by service (AED billion) 2008 2011
Chart 7 Change in UAE's telecom revenue by service 2012 2019
Chart 8 Growth in the number of mobile number portings 2014 2019
Chart 9 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 10 Change in the number and proportion of prepaid mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 11 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 12 Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator 2012 2021
Chart 13 Change in the number of Etisalat's domestic mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 14 Change in the number of Etisalat's domestic mobile subscribers by type 2012 2021
Chart 15 Development of du's mobile revenue 2012 2021
Chart 16 Change in the number of du's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 17 Development of du's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
Chart 18 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 19 Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 20 Decline in the number of DSL subscriptions 2012 2021
Chart 21 Increase in the number of Etisalat's fixed broadband subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 22 Change in the number of Etisalat's bundle subscribers by type 2016 2021
Chart 23 Etisalat group revenue and net profit 2012 2021
Chart 24 Development of Etisalat's domestic financial data 2012 2021
Chart 25 Decline in the number of Etisalat's fixed line subscribers 2018 2021
Chart 26 Development of du's revenue by sector 2012 2021
Chart 27 Development of du's financial data 2012 2021
Chart 28 Growth in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
Exhibit 5 UAE submarine cable networks

United Arab Emirates - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses