Mobile operators add 105 million new subscribers in second quarter

Mobile operators recorded 105 million net additions in the second quarter and reached a total of 6.5 billion mobile subscriptions, according to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report.

The mobile net additions estimate is based on historic information from external sources and regulatory and operator reports combined with Ericsson analysis. 

China added the highest number of customers, nearly 30 million. Indonesia (nine million), India (eight million), Bangladesh (five million), and Nigeria (four million) follow in terms of net additions. Among regions, the data shows that 30 million new customers appeared in Asia Pacific (APAC) excluding China, 20 million in Africa, six million in Central and Easter Europe, four million in Latin America, and one million in Western Europe.

Mobile subscriptions have grown around seven per cent year-on-year and two per cent quarter-on-quarter. Mobile broadband subscriptions grew by approximately 150 million to 1.8 billion subscriptions, representing a 45 per cent year-on-year growth rate.

There is continued strong momentum for smartphone uptake in all regions. Around 55 per cent of all mobile phones sold in the second quarter of this year were smartphones, compared to around 40 per cent for the full year 2012 and around 50 per cent in the first quarter 2013.

Of all mobile phone subscriptions, around 25 per cent are associated with smartphones, leaving considerable room for further uptake. 

WCDMA & HSPA subscriptions grew by around 75 million and LTE subscriptions increased by around 25 million to 125 million. The total number of subscriptions capable of using GSM grew by 100 million, while GSM-only subscriptions declined by around 10 million.

Data traffic almost doubled between second quarter of 2012 and the second quarter of 2013. Data traffic growth between first quarter of 2013 and second quarter of 2013 was 14 per cent and voice traffic growth between second quarter of 2012 and this years second quarter was two per cent, it revealed. “There are large differences in traffic levels between markets, regions and operators.” 

These measurements have been performed by Ericsson over several years using a large base of commercial networks that together cover all regions of the world. They form a representative base for calculating world total traffic in mobile networks, it added.