Telstra increase mobile market share
Telstra has further extended its lead over its rivals in the mobile market, according to the latest figures.
The most recent Australian Communications and Media Authority (CMA) report shows Telstra provides some 52% of Australian mobile services, up 3% over the last 12 months.
Optus’ market share remained steady at 31%, while Vodafone’s share dropped 3% to reach 17% at June 2014.
Telstra’s growth largely reflects the rapid take-up of 4G services, with Telstra’s 4G customers increasing by 86% over the period to bring the total number of 4G devices using its network to 5.2 million.
And Optus reported even higher growth, although from a lower base. Its 4G subscriber numbers rose 124% to 2.4 million at the end of June 2014.
Analysts are expecting that Optus and Vodafone will claw back market share from Telstra through their own 4G offerings
But much here will depend on the quality of each company’s networks, including their backhaul and core capabilities.
With Australian mobile download volumes doubling over the last 12 months, the prize will continue to go to those providers whose networks can cope with a continuing and rapid escalation of demand. The question is how much Optus and Vodafone are willing to invest to go head-to-head with Telstra in this area.
