Latest market data suggest the mobile subscriptions declined to --.-mn in Q- ---- after -.-mn subscribers were lost in the first quarter of the year. Furthermore, an additional ---,--- subscribers were shed in Q- ----. These losses suggest a significant number of inactive prepaid accounts have been shed by operators and this trend could continue in the future as the penetration rate increase above the --- mark. We estimate only modest organic growth prospects in terms of subscriber numbers out to ---- as our estimates suggest the mobile market will grow to around --.-mn by end of our current forecast period. -G/-G uptake in the country has remained healthy, with an estimated --.--mn -G/-G enabled subscribers in the country by YE--, over -- of the market. ...However, demand for high- speed data services is driving growth in the wireline broadband segment. Total fixed and mobile broadband subscribers approximated to around --.--mn at end of ----, a number we see growing to over --.--mn by ----.
...Latest data from the market suggest there were approximately --.-mn subscribers in the mobile market at the end of Q---, a y-o-y decline of -.- and a q-o-q decline of -.- . We attribute losses to inactive SIM discounting in the market. ...We attribute losses to inactive SIM discounting in the market. We have revised our mobile subscriber forecast and now envisage a total of --.--mn mobile subscribers by the end of ----, rising to --.--mn by the end of our forecast period in ----. We have revised our mobile subscriber forecast and now envisage a total of --.--mn mobile subscribers by the end of ----, rising to --.--mn by the end of our forecast period in ----. ...Our broadband forecast, based on regulatory data, envisages a total broadband subscriber base of --.--mn connections at the end of ----, rising to --.--mn in ----. This would give the country a broadband penetration rate slightly exceeding -- .
...BMI View: BMI maintains its view the Saudi Arabian telecommunications consumers exhibit strong demand for higher speed data services in the wireless and wireline segments. Despite this, the mobile market has already reached saturation point and displays classic signs of slowing down with penetration rates exceeding --- . ...
