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PUBLISHER: BuddeComm | PRODUCT CODE: 1025613

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PUBLISHER: BuddeComm | PRODUCT CODE: 1025613

Caribbean - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

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Ongoing Covid-19 crisis places continued downward pressure on the Caribbean telecom sector

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the health and economies of countries throughout the Caribbean region. Given the significant exposure that many of them have to the tourism industry, there has been a flow-on effect in the telecom sector, with declines seen in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services - the mainstay of short-term visitors) and revenue. Fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis to a small extent as employees and students have resorted to working from home, but their contribution to the sector has been insufficient to offset steep falls in other areas of the market.

One major casualty may be the region's second largest telco operator, Digicel. The company filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy in the US in April 2020. It continues to operate in all of its Caribbean markets as it seeks to refinance billions of dollars of debt, but the pressure is mounting as voice revenues continue to drop from quarter to quarter, and recent adverse currency fluctuations have made the debt burden even worse.

The other major telco, regional incumbent Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), is experiencing similar drops in subscriber numbers and revenue. However, CWC has the benefit of having the financial backing of its new owner, telecoms multinational Liberty Global. CWC is steadily expanding and enhancing its fixed and mobile networks in many of the countries it serves around the Caribbean, despite many locations being small islands with very small populations. The investment strategy should enable CWC to at least maintain its market share - if not grow it substantially should Digicel falter.

One area of the telecom market that does not yet appear poised for growth is 5G mobile. Governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have little appetite for investing in 5G opportunities at the present time. Network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. Until the economies and markets stabilize, and overseas visitors return (with increased spending power as well as higher expectations), there is unlikely to be much momentum towards implementing 5G capabilities anywhere in the region.

Key developments:

  • Digicel Group completes a successful debt restructuring.
  • Covid-19 crisis drags down Caribbean economies heavily exposed to tourism, and their telecom markets with it.
  • LTE infrastructure continues to roll out around the Caribbean region, but with few signs of progress towards 5G.
  • This report includes the regulator's annual reports and market updates, operator data to Q1 2021, ITU's market data, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, and other recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), LIME, FLOW, Liberty Global, Liberty Latin America, Digicel Group, Orange Caraïbes, United Telecommunications Services (UTS), KeyTech, Karib Cable, APUA, Setar, Bahamas Telecommunications Company, ALIV, Bermuda Telecommunications Services, Telecom Services of Trinidad & Tobago, ATN.

Table of Contents

Caribbean Market Comparison

  • Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
  • Fixed and mobile broadband penetration

Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

  • Economic considerations and responses
  • Subscribers
  • Infrastructure

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

  • Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
  • Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL)
  • Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
  • Association of Caribbean States (ACS)
  • Telecom sector liberalisation
  • Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organisations (CANTO)

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Major telecom operators in the Caribbean

  • CWC/Liberty Global
  • Digicel
    • Digicel's history
    • Review of Digicel's markets
    • Digicel's financial performance

Telecommunications infrastructure

  • Submarine cable systems

Anguilla

Antigua and Barbuda

  • Mobile market

Aruba

Bahamas

  • Regulatory measures
    • Access
  • Market competition
  • Fixed-line
  • Mobile
  • Broadband
  • Submarine cables

Barbados

  • Mobile
  • Broadband

Bermuda

  • Mobile
  • Broadband
  • Smart grids

British Virgin Islands

  • Mobile market

Cayman Islands

Dominica

  • Mobile

Grenada

Guadeloupe

Martinique

Montserrat

Netherlands Antilles

St Kitts and Nevis

St Lucia

  • Mobile

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Trinidad and Tobago

  • Telecom sector
  • Fixed network
  • Mobile
  • Fixed and mobile broadband
  • Data centres

Turks and Caicos

United States Virgin Islands

Appendix - Historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

List of Tables

  • Table 1 - Change in CWC's residential revenue by type ($ million) - 2017 - 2021
  • Table 2 - Growth in the number of CWC's fixed-line RGUs by sector - 2009 - 2021
  • Table 3 - Growth in the number of CWC's mobile subscribers - 2009 - 2021
  • Table 4 - Country data Antigua and Barbuda - 2021 (e)
  • Table 5 - Antigua and Barbuda subscribers by sector - 2010 - 2020
  • Table 6 - Antigua and Barbuda penetration by sector - 2010 - 2020
  • Table 7 - Antigua and Barbuda mobile broadband subscribers - 2012 - 2020
  • Table 8 - Country data Aruba - 2021 (e)
  • Table 9 - Country data Bahamas - 2021 (e)
  • Table 10 - Bahamas - Change in telecom sector revenue - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 11 - Bahamas - Decline in fixed lines in service and penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 12 - Bahamas - Mobile subscribers and penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 13 - Bahamas - Mobile broadband subscribers and penetration - 2012 - 2020
  • Table 14 - Bahamas - Fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 15 - Country data Barbados - 2021 (e)
  • Table 16 - Barbados - Fixed telephony subscriptions and penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 17 - Barbados - Mobile subscribers and penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 18 - Barbados - Mobile broadband subscribers and penetration - 2012 - 2020
  • Table 19 - Barbados - Fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 20 - Country data Bermuda - 2021 (e)
  • Table 21 - Bermuda - One Communications financial data ($ million) - 2016 - 2020
  • Table 22 - Bermuda - Change in the number of subscribers by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 23 - Bermuda - Change in penetration of services by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 24 - BVI - Change in the number of subscribers by sector - 2010 - 2020
  • Table 25 - BVI - Change in penetration of services by sector - 2010 - 2020
  • Table 26 - BVI - Active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration - 2013 - 2020
  • Table 27 - Cayman Islands - Change in the number of subscribers - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 28 - Cayman Islands - Change in penetration by service - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 29 - Cayman Island telecom and broadcasting revenue - 2011 - 2019
  • Table 30 - Country data Dominica - 2021 (e)
  • Table 31 - Dominica - Change in the number of subscribers by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 32 - Dominica - Change in penetration of services by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 33 - Dominica - Active mobile broadband subscribers - 2014 - 2020
  • Table 34 - Country data Grenada - 2021 (e)
  • Table 35 - Grenada - Change in the number of subscribers by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 36 - Grenada - Change in penetration of services by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 37 - Grenada - Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 38 - Grenada - Active mobile broadband subscribers - 2013 - 2020
  • Table 39 - Country data St Kitts and Nevis - 2021 (e)
  • Table 40 - St Kitts and Nevis - Change in subscriber numbers by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 41 - St Kitts and Nevis - Change in penetration of services by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 42 - St Kitts and Nevis - mobile subscribers - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 43 - St Kitts and Nevis active mobile broadband subscribers - 2013 - 2020
  • Table 44 - Country data St Lucia - 2021 (e)
  • Table 45 - St Lucia - Change in subscriber numbers by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 46 - St Lucia - Change in penetration of services by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 47 - St Lucia active mobile broadband subscribers - 2013 - 2020
  • Table 48 - Country data St Vincent and the Grenadines - 2021 (e)
  • Table 49 - St Vincent and the Grenadines - Change in subscribers by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 50 - St Vincent and the Grenadines - Change in service penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 51 - St Vincent and the Grenadines active mobile broadband subscribers - 2014 - 2020
  • Table 52 - Country data Trinidad & Tobago - 2021 (e)
  • Table 53 - Trinidad & Tobago telecom subscribers by service - 2009 - 2020
  • Table 54 - Trinidad & Tobago penetration by service - 2009 - 2020
  • Table 55 - Trinidad & Tobago telecom revenue by service (TTD million) - 2011 - 2020
  • Table 56 - Trinidad & Tobago ARPU by service (TTD) - 2009 - 2020
  • Table 57 - Trinidad & Tobago active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration - 2009 - 2020
  • Table 58 - Historic - CWC financial data (Caribbean) ($ million) - 2010 - 2017
  • Table 59 - Historic - CWC revenue by sector ($ million) - 2010 - 2017
  • Table 60 - Historic - Digicel revenue by operating segment ($ million) - 2013 - 2015
  • Table 61 - Historic - Digicel financial statistics ($ million) - 2010 - 2015
  • Table 62 - Historic - Digicel revenue by geographic sector ($ million) - 2014 - 2015
  • Table 63 - Historic - Anguilla communications sector revenue - 2008 - 2013
  • Table 64 - Historic - Anguilla subscribers by service - 2005 - 2015
  • Table 65 - Historic - Antigua and Barbuda fixed-line broadband subscribers - 2005 - 2010
  • Table 66 - Historic - Antigua and Barbuda fixed-telephony lines in service - 2005 - 2010
  • Table 67 - Historic - Antigua and Barbuda mobile subscribers and penetration - 2000 - 2010
  • Table 68 - Historic - Aruba fixed-line telephony subscribers and penetration - 2001 - 2015
  • Table 69 - Historic - Aruba fixed-line broadband subscribers - 2003 - 2015
  • Table 70 - Historic - Aruba mobile subscribers and penetration - 2000 - 2015
  • Table 71 - Historic - Bahamas fixed lines in services and penetration - 2000 - 2010
  • Table 72 - Historic - Bahamas fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration - 2001 - 2010
  • Table 73 - Historic - Bahamas mobile subscribers and penetration - 2000 - 2010
  • Table 74 - Historic - Barbados fixed telephony subscriptions and penetration - 2005 - 2010
  • Table 75 - Historic - Barbados mobile subscribers and penetration - 2000 - 2010
  • Table 76 - Historic - Barbados fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration - 2005 - 2010
  • Table 77 - Historic - Bermuda mobile subscribers and penetration - 2000 - 2010
  • Table 78 - Historic - Bermuda fixed lines in services - 2003 - 2010
  • Table 79 - Historic - Bermuda active mobile subscribers and penetration - 2014 - 2017
  • Table 80 - Historic - Bermuda fixed-line broadband subscribers - 2005 - 2010
  • Table 81 - Historic - BVI fixed telephony subscriptions and penetration - 2005 - 2010
  • Table 82 - Historic - BVI revenue from telecoms and ICT services ($ million) - 2009 - 2014
  • Table 83 - Historic - BVI mobile subscribers and penetration - 2007 - 2010
  • Table 84 - Historic - Cayman Island subscribers by service - 2005 - 2010
  • Table 85 - Historic - Cayman Island penetration by service - 2005 - 2010
  • Table 86 - Historic - Dominica communications sector revenue - 2008 - 2013
  • Table 87 - Historic - Dominica fixed broadband subscribers - 2003 - 2010
  • Table 88 - Historic - Dominica fixed lines in service - 2000 - 2020
  • Table 89 - Historic - Dominica mobile subscribers - 2000 - 2010
  • Table 90 - Historic - Grenada communications sector revenue - 2008 - 2013
  • Table 91 - Historic - Grenada fixed broadband subscribers - 2005 - 2010
  • Table 92 - Historic - Grenada fixed lines in service - 2000 - 2010
  • Table 93 - Historic - Grenada mobile subscribers - 2000 - 2010
  • Table 94 - Historic - Montserrat communications sector revenue - 2008 - 2013
  • Table 95 - Historic - Netherlands Antilles fixed lines in service - 2000 - 2014
  • Table 96 - Historic - St Kitts and Nevis communications sector revenue - 2008 - 2013
  • Table 97 - Historic - St Kitts and Nevis fixed broadband subscribers - 2002 - 2010
  • Table 98 - Historic - St Kitts and Nevis mobile subscribers - 2000 - 2010
  • Table 99 - Historic - St Kitts and Nevis fixed-lines in service and penetration - 2000 - 2010
  • Table 100 - Historic - St Lucia communications sector revenue - 2008 - 2013
  • Table 101 - Historic - St Lucia fixed broadband subscribers - 2003 - 2010
  • Table 102 - Historic - St Lucia fixed telephony subscribers - 2006 - 2010
  • Table 103 - Historic - St Lucia mobile subscribers - 2000 - 2010
  • Table 104 - Historic - St Vincent and the Grenadines communications sector revenue - 2008 - 2013
  • Table 105 - Historic - St Vincent and the Grenadines fixed telephony subscribers - 2003 - 2010
  • Table 106 - Historic - St Vincent and the Grenadines fixed broadband subscribers - 2003 - 2010
  • Table 107 - Historic - St Vincent and the Grenadines mobile subscribers - 2000 - 2010
  • Table 108 - Historic - Bahamas - Change in telecom sector revenue - 2003 - 2010
  • Table 109 - Historic - Cayman Island telecom and broadcasting revenue - 2004 - 2010

List of Charts

  • Chart 1 - Caribbean Telecoms Maturity Index by country
  • Chart 2 - Caribbean Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita
  • Chart 3 - Caribbean mobile subscriber penetration versus mobile broadband penetration
  • Chart 4 - Caribbean fixed broadband penetration versus mobile broadband penetration
  • Chart 5 - Change in CWC's residential revenue by type - 2017 - 2021
  • Chart 6 - Growth in the number of CWC's fixed-line RGUs by sector - 2009 - 2021
  • Chart 7 - Growth in the number of CWC's mobile subscribers - 2009 - 2021
  • Chart 8 - Antigua and Barbuda subscribers by sector - 2010 - 2020
  • Chart 9 - Antigua and Barbuda penetration by sector - 2010 - 2020
  • Chart 10 - Antigua and Barbuda active mobile broadband subscribers - 2012 - 2020
  • Chart 11 - Bahamas - Change in telecom sector revenue - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 12 - Bahamas - Decline in fixed lines in service and penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 13 - Bahamas - Mobile subscribers and penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 14 - Bahamas - Mobile broadband subscribers and penetration - 2012 - 2020
  • Chart 15 - Bahamas - Fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 16 - Barbados - Fixed telephony subscriptions and penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 17 - Barbados - Mobile subscribers and penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 18 - Barbados - Mobile broadband subscribers and penetration - 2012 - 2020
  • Chart 19 - Barbados - Fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 20 - Bermuda - One Communications financial data - 2016 - 2020
  • Chart 21 - Bermuda - Change in the number of subscribers by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 22 - Bermuda - Change in penetration of services by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 23 - BVI - Change in the number of subscribers by sector - 2010 - 2020
  • Chart 24 - BVI - Change in penetration of services by sector - 2010 - 2020
  • Chart 25 - BVI - Active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration - 2013 - 2020
  • Chart 26 - Cayman Islands - Change in the number of subscribers - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 27 - Cayman Islands - Change in penetration by service - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 28 - Cayman Island telecom and broadcasting revenue - 2011 - 2019
  • Chart 29 - Dominica - Change in the number of subscribers by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 30 - Dominica - Change in penetration of services by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 31 - Dominica - Active mobile broadband subscribers - 2014 - 2020
  • Chart 32 - Grenada - Change in the number of subscribers by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 33 - Grenada - Change in penetration of services by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 34 - Grenada - Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 35 - Grenada - Active mobile broadband subscribers - 2013 - 2020
  • Chart 36 - St Kitts and Nevis - Change in subscriber numbers by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 37 - St Kitts and Nevis - Change in penetration of services by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 38 - St Kitts and Nevis - mobile subscribers - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 39 - St Kitts and Nevis active mobile broadband subscribers - 2013 - 2020
  • Chart 40 - St Lucia - Change in subscriber numbers by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 41 - St Lucia - Change in penetration of services by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 42 - St Lucia active mobile broadband subscribers - 2013 - 2020
  • Chart 43 - St Vincent and the Grenadines - Change in subscribers by sector - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 44 - St Vincent and the Grenadines - Change in service penetration - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 45 - St Vincent and the Grenadines active mobile broadband subscribers - 2014 - 2020
  • Chart 46 - Trinidad & Tobago telecom subscribers by service - 2009 - 2020
  • Chart 47 - Trinidad & Tobago telecom penetration by service - 2009 - 2020
  • Chart 48 - Trinidad & Tobago telecom revenue by service - 2011 - 2020
  • Chart 49 - Trinidad & Tobago ARPU by service (TT$) - 2009 - 2020
  • Chart 50 - Trinidad & Tobago active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration - 2009 - 2020

List of Exhibits

  • Exhibit 1 - Caribbean - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Select Country
  • Exhibit 2 - Major island reports of the Caribbean
  • Exhibit 3 - Telecom privatisation and liberalisation in the Caribbean
  • Exhibit 4 - Digicel's Caribbean operations
  • Exhibit 5 - Major submarine cable networks serving the Caribbean region
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