An update of the take up fixed-line, mobile/cellular and fixed-broadband Internet, and mobile/cellular broadband Internet service across select Caribbean countries as of 2018.
From time to time, it can be beneficial to have a sense of the state of telecoms across the Caribbean: what the density of service might be, and how it compares with other countries across the region. Since 2011, we here at ICT Pulse have been examining the state of development of telecoms, in terms of subscriptions density, and have drawn data from well-known sources, with the aim of providing a snapshot as at the end of 2018.
The results presented have been drawn from data published by the ITU and GSM Intelligence, and consisted of an examination of the following for the Caribbean countries listed in Table 1:
- density of fixed-line telephony subscriptions
- density of mobile/cellular telephony subscriptions
- density of fixed broadband Internet subscriptions
- density of mobile/cellular broadband Internet subscriptions.
Table 1: List of Caribbean countries examined for 2018 telecoms trends (Source: ICT Pulse)
Results: fixed-line telephony segment
Although data was available for just about half of the Caribbean countries examined (13), across the region , there continues to be a wide disparity in fixed-line telephone subscription densities. The highest subscriber densities were reported in Barbados, at approximately 44 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants; followed by the Bahamas, with around 29 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Fixed-line telephone penetration in select Caribbean countries as at 2018 (Source: ITU)
At the other end of the spectrum, the lowest fixed-line telephony subscriber density was reported in Haiti, at approximately 5 subscriptions per 10,000 inhabitants (not per 100); which is followed by Dominica, with less than 4 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
Results: mobile/cellular segment
With respect to mobile/cellular subscription density, around 76% of the sample group still reported mobile/cellular subscriptions densities over 100 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, as reflected in Table 2. The highest subscription density was recorded in United States Virgin Islands, at approximately 198 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, with the next highest subscription density being reported in Antigua and Barbuda at around 181 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
Figure 2: Mobile/cellular penetration in select Caribbean countries as at 2018 (Source: GSM Intelligence)
The lowest mobile/cellular subscriptions densities were reported in Cuba, at approximately 40 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Haiti had the second lowest among the countries examined, at around 61 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
Results: fixed broadband Internet segment
Once again, fixed broadband Internet data was available for just about 13 of 24 countries examined. However, the highest subscription density was recorded in Barbados at around 34 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, as shown in Figure 3. The next highest fixed broadband Internet subscription density was recorded in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, at nearly 25 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
Figure 3: Fixed broadband subscription densities in select Caribbean countries as at 2018 (Source: ITU)
Conversely, the lowest fixed broadband Internet subscription density was reported in Haiti and Cuba, which had around 28 subscriptions per 10,000 inhabitants, 81 subscriptions per 10,000 inhabitants, respectively.
Results: mobile/cellular broadband Internet segment
Reporting on the state of mobile/cellular broadband subscription densities is a new addition to this Snapshot exercise. We were able to source data for all of the 24 countries included in this year’s exercise. The highest mobile/cellular broadband subscription densities were recorded in the Bahamas and Suriname. In the Bahamas, 78 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants and in Suriname, 73 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, were recorded.
Figure 4: Mobile/cellular broadband Internet penetration in select Caribbean countries as at 2018 (Source: GSM Intelligence)
At the other end of the spectrum, lowest mobile/cellular broadband subscriptions densities were reported in Grenada and Guyana. For Grenada, the density was 16 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, whilst for Guyana,, the reported density was 22 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
Results: region-wide trends
Over the past nine years, from 2010 to 2018, there have been relatively slight changes in the averaged fixed-line telephony, mobile/cellular and fixed broadband Internet subscription densities across the Caribbean region, as reflected in Figure 5.
The density of mobile/cellular subscriptions continues to outstrip considerably those for fixed-line telephony and fixed broadband Internet. Between 2017 and 2018, the subscription increased by around 3 percentage points. With regard to fixed broadband Internet, there was a marginal increase in the subscription density, by around 0.4 percentage points. On the other hand, fixed-line telephony subscriptions continues to degree. Between 2017 and 2018, the decline was by approximately 20%.
Figure 5: Averaged fixed-line telephony, mobile/cellular and fixed broadband Internet subscription densities across the Caribbean from 2010–2018 (Source: GSM Intelligence, ITU)
Once again, it is highlighted that fewer countries are reporting their telecoms data to the ITU, or otherwise making it publicly available. As a result, the comparison and analysis that can be performed, particularly with respect to fixed-line telephone and fixed broadband Internet service – is becoming limited.
To a considerable degree Caribbean countries have not established adequate systems to facilitate the collection of telecoms and ICT data, which are becoming increasingly important as market intelligence. Moreover, if they do collect the data, they may not be prepared to make it publicly available, which it could be argued, does not augur well for transparency, particularly Open Data and Open Government principles should be fostered.
Image credit: Gerd Altmann (Pixabay)
