Telecoms revenues up 3.1% in 4Q10

Data published by the Irish regulator the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) shows that the nation’s telecoms industry continued to grow in revenue terms in the fourth quarter of 2010 – expanding for the third period in succession – rising 3.1% year-on-year to EUR998 million (USD1.41 billion). However, the quarterly growth failed to mask a drop in full year revenues from EUR4.04 billion in 2009 to EUR3.87 billion a year later. The recovery is being driven in part by internet and broadband subscriptions which increased by 2.3% and 2.8% in 4Q10 to 1.6 million and 1.5 million, respectively. Cable and mobile broadband internet fuelled the expansion, ComReg said, with the latter increasing to account for almost 40% of all high speed connections by the year-end, behind xDSL with 46.1%. Total fixed and mobile broadband penetration stood at 35.6% by 31 December 2010, and was 22.8% when excluding those people on a mobile broadband subscription.