IDC Telecommunications Report: A Land of Digital Opportunity
AUCKLAND, October 10th, 2017 – IDC New Zealand has released its annual telecommunications market report for 2017 titled New Zealand
Telecommunications: The Streets are Paved with Glass. The report illustrates that with the investment in Ultra-Fast
Fibre as well as three 4G mobile networks, New Zealand is fast becoming a land of digital opportunities.
Telecommunications retailers are shifting focus from connectivity provider to digital services provider. Innovative new
digital products and services have hit the market, such as 2degrees DataClock and Vodafone's My Flex Prepay.
"New Zealand has the second fastest fibre subscription growth rate in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development) countries. Getting ahead of the rest of the world in infrastructure terms removes some of the so-called
tyranny of distance for New Zealand,” explains Monica Collier, Research Manager for Telecommunications, IDC New Zealand.
"In digital terms, New Zealand has had the equivalent of a brand-new motorway network rolled out all over the country,”
adds Collier. Global digital market places are becoming more prevalent and world class infrastructure means New Zealand
is less handicapped by being far away in geographical terms, This creates opportunity for New Zealanders to start and
run their business anywhere, even in remote towns. They can have digital market places located where it makes sense for
each industry whether on the farm or besides the ski-fields.
Other highlights from the report include:
• The highly competitive retail side of telecommunications has meant the average price for a residential 100/20
Mbps fibre with uncapped data, has fallen from NZD$119.07 per month to NZD$87.78 this year (across 16 tracked retail
providers).
• Retailers are offering customers sign-up perks, free months, account credits, streaming video subscriptions, and
free TVs and gaming consoles. This is great news for the end user but for the retail telecommunications industry
increasing input prices means margins are getting tighter. With around 92 retailers, IDC believes the industry can
expect some consolidation over the next 12 months.
• With over 80% of the Ultra-Fast Broadband 1 build complete, Chorus and the Local Fibre Providers are shifting
their focus from build to grow. One in three households with access to fibre has connected and the race is on between
Chorus and the LFCs and private fibre providers to win connections into business premises.
Collier summarises the opportunity in telecommunications for 2017, “New Zealand has a reputation for being easy to do
business with, having an innovative culture and high-quality education. Having this superb digital infrastructure across
the country means New Zealand can get ahead of other nations and take a slice of the growing digital marketplace. We are
famous for being clean and green, being strong in agriculture and tourism and having a world champion rugby team.
Perhaps we can leverage some of those strengths, use the new infrastructure, and in the future become known for punching
above our weight in the global knowledge economy". To punch above their weight, IDC advises telecommunications companies
to develop strategies and a deliberate approach to monetising data growth driven by our digital infrastructure.
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About IDC Telecommunications Market Analysis and Forecast
IDC's annual telecommunications market report provides a comprehensive overview and reference guide to the NZ
telecommunications market. The report includes IDC's five-year forecast of revenue, connections, market share and market
size 2016–2021, including analysis of actuals up to 30 June 2017.