Vivo and Claro lead mobile broadband in Brazil
Brazil ended Jul/14 counting 134 million mobile broadband accesses, being:
49.0% of the cell phones in Brazil are mobile broadband accesses.
In order to evaluate mobile broadband leaders in Brazil, Teleco selected the following indicators.
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| Indicator | Description | Leader |
| Total Mobile Broadband Accesses | Mobile Broadband Market Share | Claro |
| Accesses via 3G handsets | Participation of accesses via 3G handsets in the total of accesses via 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 services revenue | Vivo |
| Coverage | Number of cities covered with 3G and 4G | Vivo |
The leaders board in these indicators remained the same of 2013 according to Teleco's last commentary about the matter (more details).
Total of Mobile Broadband Accesses: Claro leads
Claro is the market share leader in mobile broadband in Brazil. The company ended Jul/14 counting 45.1 million accesses, follwed by Vivo (35.0 millions), TIM (33.1 millions) and Oi (17.7 millions).
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According to Anatel's definition, the number of mobile broadband is gotten from 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 represent 92.2% of the Brazilian mobile broadband accesses, assured Claro this reasult.
Accesses via 3G Handsets: Claro is mais the most advanced in coverting GSM into 3G
The process of coverting GSM handsets into 3G, inside the Brazilian cell phones base, is happening in accelerated pace. In Jul/14 broadband accesses overtook accesses via GSM (2G) handsets.
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Among the four main mobile operators in Brazil, Claro is the most advanced in this process. From the total accesses via Claro's handsets (excluding data terminals) 67.4% were 3G in Jul/14.
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Claro is the leader in the total of 3G handsets counting 42.7 million in Jul/14, followed by TIM (31.4 millions), Vivo (30.1 millions) and Oi (16.8 millions).
We must highlight that 77.3% of the accesses via CTBC's handsets are 3G, even though they aren't included in this evaluation.
Accesses via 4G Handsets: Vivo leads
Vivo leads in 4G mobile accesses, followed by TIM. Claro, which was the first to launch 4G service in Brazil is in the 3rd position in this ranking.
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Brazil ended Jul/14 counting 3.7 million 4G cell phones and, if kept the current trends, is likelly to end 2014 with about 5 million 4G mobile accesses.
A more accelerated adoption of 4G technology depends on the offer of more affordable devices.
Market Share of Broadband Data Terminals: Vivo is the isolated leader
Brazil ended Jul/14 counting 6.6 million data terminals (modems), less than the 7.0 million registered in 2013. Net adds in the first seven months of the year were negatives (-387 thousands). A possible explanation is the growth of broadband accesses through other means like the direct access via smartfones and wi-fi networks.
Vivo is the market share leader in broadband data terminals (modems) holding 52.1% of the market share in Jul/14, followed by Claro (27.3%), TIM (8.6%) and Oi (7.8%).
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Source: Anatel
Only Nextel presented positive net adds inside this segment in 2014.
Data Revenue: Vivos leads
Vivo is the leader in data net revenue reaching R$ 3.9 billion in the first semester of 2014 (1S14). Claro and Oi don't report this indicator.
Data Net Revenue /VAS (R$ Million) |
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| - | 2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
1S14 |
Growth 1S14/1S13 |
| Vivo | 4,642 |
5,648 |
6,877 |
3,901 |
20.0% |
| TIM | 2,188 |
2,970 |
3,567 |
2,040 |
20.9% |
| Oi Mobil. Pessoal | 660 |
948 |
1,513 |
1,076 |
34.5% |
In the first semester of 2014 (1S14), data revenue represented 35.5% of Vivo's services revenue against 26.2% of TIM's.
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Coverage 3G and 4G: Vivo covers more cities
Vivo is the 3G coverage leader, covering 3,215 cities (86.5% of population) in Jul/14.
| Cities | 2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
jul/14 |
| Vivo | 314 |
579 |
1.206 |
2.516 |
3.100 |
3.134 |
3.215 |
| Claro | 284 |
389 |
416 |
745 |
1.152 |
1.374 |
1.571 |
| Tim | 40 |
57 |
210 |
488 |
593 |
1.000 |
1.175 |
| Oi | 99 |
168 |
211 |
250 |
529 |
951 |
951 |
| Total | 448 |
711 |
1.287 |
2.625 |
3.293 |
3.554 |
3.752 |
Vivo is also the leader in number of cities covered with 4G in Aug/14, but Claro led covered population.
| 4G Coverage | Covered Cities |
Covered Population (%) |
| Vivo | 98 |
35.4% |
| Claro | 92 |
36.6% |
| Oi | 45 |
30.5% |
| TIM | 45 |
30.2% |
| Total | 120 |
38.8% |
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