Vivo and Claro lead Brazilian mobile broadband
Brazil ended October counting 92.6 million mobile broadband accesses, being:
34% of the cell phones in Brazil are mobile broadband accesses.
In order to evaluate the mobile broadband leaders in Brazil, Teleco selected the following indicators.
| Indicator | Description | Leader |
| Total of Mobile Broadband Accesses | Mobile Broadband Market Share | Claro |
| Accesses via 3G Handsets | Participation of accesses via 3G handsets in the total of handsets (excluding data terminals) | Claro |
| Accesses via 4G Handsets | Number of 4G handsets (excluding data terminals) | Vivo |
| Broadband Data Terminals | Market Share of Broadband Data Terminals | Vivo |
| Data Revenue | Participation of Data Revenue in Service Revenue | Vivo |
| Coverage | Number of Cities Covered with 3G and 4G | Vivo |
Claro and Vivo are leaders in mobile broadband in Brazilian according to these indicators that will be analyzed below.
Total of Mobile Broadband: Claro Leads
Claro is the market leader in mobile broadband. The carrier ended October counting 35.0 million accesses, followed by Vivo (23.9 millions), TIM (22.0 millions) and Oi (10.9 millions).
According to Anatel's definition, the number of mobile broadband accesses is gotten through counting the number of accesses via 3G/4G handsets plus broadband data terminals. M2M data terminals aren't included in this calculation.
The leadership in 3G handsets, which represents 91.6% of the mobile broadband accesses in Brazil, ensured Claro this result.
Accesses via 3G handsets: Claro is in advantage about converting GSM into 3G
The process of converting GSM into 3G, inside Brazilian cellular base, is happening in an accelerated pace but GSM handsets represent 62.6% of the total of mobile accesses in the country.
Among the four main mobile operators of Brazil, Claro is in advantage in this process. From the total of accesses via Claro's handsets (excluding data terminals) 52.7% are 3G.
Claro leads in the total of 3G handsets by holding 33.0 million in Oct/13, followed by TIM (21.1 million), Vivo (20.1 million) and Oi (10.1 million).
Even though CTBC isn't included in this evaluation, it's important to highlight that 68.9% of CTB's accesses via handsets are 3G.
Accesses via 4G Handsets: Vivo leads
Claro was first to launch 4G service in Brazil, but Vivo reached the leadership in April and was consolidated in this this position.
Brazil ended October counting 731 thousand 4G mobile accesses, kept the current trends it is likely to end 2013 holding about 1 million 4G cell phones.
A more accelerated adoption of 4G technology depends on the offer of cheaper prices.
Market Share of Broadband Data Terminals: Vivo is the leader
Brazil ended October counting 7.0 million broadband data terminals (modems) with net adds of 322 thousand terminals in the first ten months of the year.
Vivo is the market share leader in broadband terminals (modems) having 50.0% of market share in Oct/13, followed by Claro (27.8%), TIM (9.8%) and Oi (9.5%).
Vivo ended Oct/13 counting 3.5 million broadband terminals.
Source: Anatel
Data Revenue: Vivo is first
Vivo is the leader in data net revenue reaching R$ 1.6 billion in 1Q13. Claro and Oi don't report these indicators.
| R$ Million | 1Q12 |
2Q12 |
3Q12 |
4Q12 |
1Q13 |
2Q13 |
3Q13 |
| Vivo | 1,318 |
1,351 |
1,414 |
1,565 |
1,566 |
1,685 |
1,762 |
| Tim | 676 |
693 |
758 |
844 |
831 |
856 |
908 |
In 3Q13, data revenue represented 32.4% of Vivo's service revenue. At TIM, it represented 22.5%.
3G Coverage: Vivo covers more cities than the other three carrier altogether
Vivo is the 3G coverage leader, by covering 3,132 cities (86.6% of the population) in Oct/13.
| Cities | 2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
Out/13 |
| Vivo | 314 |
579 |
1,206 |
2,516 |
3,100 |
3,132 |
| Claro | 282 |
389 |
402 |
657 |
1,116 |
1,579 |
| Tim | 23 |
55 |
195 |
488 |
593 |
925 |
| Oi | 99 |
168 |
211 |
250 |
529 |
888 |
| Total | 448 |
711 |
1,287 |
2,702 |
3,293 |
3,549 |
Vivo also leads in number of cities covered with 4G in Oct/13.
| 4G Coverage | Covered Cities |
Population (%) |
| Vivo | 69 |
28.9% |
| Claro | 23 |
22.0% |
| Oi | 8 |
16.2% |
| TIM | 6 |
9.4% |
| Total | 72 |
29.7% |
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