The fourth quarter was a weak quarter for the Dutch mobile services market. Service revenues dropped 5.0% to EUR 1.50 billion, from EUR 1.58 billion in Q3 2006. The quarter-on-quarter growth rate in Q4 2006 of - 5.0% is lower than the rate recorded in Q4 2005, when growth stood at -2.9%. The year-on-year growth rate stood at 0.9% in the quarter, down from 4.5% in Q4 2005.
Telecompaper estimates that the total mobile customer base, including customers from Tele2 Mobiel, UPC Mobiel, Scarlet, Lycamobile and Rabo Mobiel, was 17.95 million at the end of December 2006, up 2.2% from 17.56 million at the end of September 2006 and up 5.7% from 16.98 million at the end of December 2005. With the customer base growing to 17.95 million, the penetration rate reached a record 110%. The postpay segment grew with more than one million subscribers and accounts for 45.2% of the total mobile customer base
KPN’s share of mobile service revenues continued to rise: the company's share of service revenues rose to 48.9% in the fourth quarter. Vodafone underperformed in comparison with the market in the fourth quarter, seeing its revenues fall 15.5% to EUR 364 million, from EUR 431 million in the third quarter. Vodafone’s market share of mobile service revenues dropped to 24.2% in the quarter. T-Mobile’s service revenues grew 3.3% from the previous quarter, increasing to EUR 282 million from EUR 273 million. Compared to the Q4 2005, T-Mobile’s service revenues are up 9.7% from EUR 257 million. Orange’s service revenues in fourth quarter declined 3.7% to EUR 121 million from EUR 126 million in the third quarter. Orange’s market share for the quarter increased slightly from to 8.0% to 8.1%, but down from 8.8% on their level in the fourth quarter of 2005.
For 2007 and 2008 Telecompaper forecasts only a small increase of revenues with a continuing growth in customers. The researcher further estimates that mobile revenues in 2007 and 2008 will increase with a maximum of 2% per year.
