Glossary of terms
Fixed broadband, Mobile broadband
- Broadband connection: a connection enabling higher than 144 Kbit/s download speed.
As of January 2010 it is estimated that 1-2 Mbps is the minimum download speed and
that just a fraction of all retail broadband lines provide speeds of 144 Kbit/s.
- Broadband penetration: Broadband subscription lines as a percentage of population.
- Incumbents: Organisations having enjoyed special and exclusive rights or de facto
monopoly for the provision of voice telephony services before liberalisation, regardless of
the role played in the provision of access by means of technologies alternative to the
PSTN.
- New entrant: Alternative telecommunications operators, as well as internet service
providers (ISPs).
- DSL: Digital Subscriber Line.
- Cable broadband: Broadband connections by means of cable TV access.
- Satellite: Broadband connections via satellite.
- NGA: Next Generation Access Technologies including VDSL, FTTH, FTTB, Cable NGA
and other NGA as defined below.
- VDSL: Very high bitrate digital subscriber line. It uses copper networks in the access.
Typically the physical network interface at the delivery point at subscriber's home would
be a RJ-11 type connector. Fibre to the Node + vDSL lines should be included in this
category. VDSL is deployed over existing wiring used for analog telephone service and
lower-speed DSL connections.
- FTTH: Fibre to the Home. A communications architecture in which the final connection
to the subscriber’s premises is Optical Fibre. The fibre optic communications path is
terminated on or in the premise for the purpose of carrying communications to a single
subscriber. In order to be classified as FTTH, the access fibre must cross the subscriber’s
premises boundary and terminate:
inside the premises, or
on an external wall of the subscriber’s premises, or
not more than 2m from an external wall of the subscriber’s premises.
FTTH services may deliver just one application, but generally deliver several such as
data, voice and video. This FTTH definition excludes architectures where the optical fibre
terminates in public or private space before reaching the premises and where the access
path continues to the subscriber over a physical medium other than optical fibre (for
example copper loops, power cables, wireless and/or coax).
- FTTB: Fibre to the Building: An optical fiber reaches the boundary of the building, such
as the basement in an multidwelling unit, and the final connection to the subscriber’s
premises is a physical medium other than Optical Fiber.
- NGA cable: Lines transmitting very high-speed data transfer on an existing coaxial cable
TV network. Typically the physical network interface at the delivery point at subscriber's
home would be an F connector type.
- Other NGA: Technologies other than FTTH, FTTB, VDSL and Cable NGA, which are
capable of at least 30 Mbps download (headline speed).
- Mobile broadband: internet access on third generation technologies (3G) and higher
speed mobile technologies (i.e. HSPA or LTE). In the case of UMTS the unit of reference
is SIM/USIM cards (including modem/dongles). For the CDMA standard, the unit of
measurement should be the number of User Equipments.
- Mobile broadband – standard mobile subscriptions: Number of subscriptions which
have made an Internet mobile connection in the last 90 days through a standard mobile
subscription. Standard mobile subscriptions are typical voice subscriptions which also
provide access to the Internet but are not purchased separately. Standard mobile
subscription excludes dedicated Internet mobile subscriptions. An Internet mobile
connection is a connection to the open Internet using Internet Protocol (IP). Hence,
subscriptions which only offer “walled garden” or email-only services (or SMS/MMS
only) as well as those offering access to the open Internet but that only have made access
to "walled garden" and email-only services in the last three months will not be
considered. Bundled offers (i.e., voice and data access) for a unique (flat rate) tariff are to
be counted if a data connection has been made in last 3 months.
- Mobile broadband - Dedicated data subscriptions for stand-alone services via
cards/modems/keys only: Number of subscriptions to dedicated data services over a
mobile network which are purchased separately from voice services as a stand-alone
service (modem/dongle), i.e. excluding mobile handset users. All dedicated data
subscriptions with a recurring subscription fee are included as "active data subscriptions",
regardless of actual use. Pre-paid mobile broadband plans (i.e. all non- recurrent fee
subscriptions) require active use in previous 3 months. Subscriptions which only offer
“walled garden” or email-only services (or SMS/MMS only) will not be considered.
Bundled offers (i.e., voice and data access) are excluded.
- Dedicated data subscriptions for add-on data package to a voice service requiring an
additional subscription: Number of subscriptions to dedicated data services over a
mobile network which are purchased separately from voice services as an add-on data
package to voice service which require an additional subscription (i.e. excluding
datacards/dongles). Recurrent fee subscriptions (i.e., contract) are included automatically.
Prepayment subscriptions (or any other type of non-recurrent subscription) need to pass
the activity criterion (a usage occurred in the last 3 months). Subscriptions which only
offer “walled garden” or email-only services (or SMS/MMS only) will not be considered.
Bundled offers (i.e., voice and data access) are excluded.
Revenues and investment
- Electronic communications sector revenues: All wholesale and retail revenues of
electronic communications excluding VAT.
- Electronic communications sector network investment: All telecommunications
network investment (both tangible and intangible) excluding license fees.
Mobile market
- Mobile subscriptions: 2G, 3G and 4G subscriptions of a mobile network operator or
Mobile Virtual Network Operators. Number of post-paid active subscribers means
number of subscribers with a valid contract. Number of prepaid active subscribers means
numbers of subscribers that have made or received a call, sent an SMS or MMS or used
data services at least once in the last three months.
- ARPM: Average Revenue per Minute. All retail voice related revenues should be
accounted for including also monthly fees, which give free minutes allowances. In case of
service bundles (where for example data and voice services are included in one package)
the related voice revenues should be estimated. Wholesale revenues (such as
interconnection) and not voice related revenues (such as SMS, MMS, data, content and
handset revenues) should be excluded. VAT should be excluded. All outgoing retail voice
minutes should be included regardless of the call types (all call directions including
roaming, free minutes allowances too). Number of minutes should be given as billed
minutes and real minutes.
- ARPU: Average Revenue per User. Retail mobile revenues divided by the average
number of subscriptions.
