Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Total number of mobile phone subscribers, NI and RoI, 2014-19
- Forecast
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- Figure 2: Indexed number of mobile phone subscribers, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Market factors
- Smartphone ownership remains at peak levels
- Consumers opting for pay monthly services
- Data usage continues to grow
- Mobile operators stepping up 5G preparations
- Companies, brands and innovations
- The consumer
- Irish mobile phone market dominated by Apple and Samsung
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- Figure 3: Manufacturer of smartphone owned, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Figure 4: Operating system consumers use on their smartphone, NI and RoI, March 2019
- O2 the leading provider in NI, Three and Vodafone in RoI
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- Figure 5: Mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, NI, March 2019
- Figure 6: Mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, RoI, March 2019
- Contracts the main payment plan used by Irish consumers
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- Figure 7: Type of mobile network connection, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Majority of consumers do not switch mobile network provider
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- Figure 8: Switched mobile network provider in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Satisfaction with mobile phone coverage high among Irish consumers
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- Figure 9: Agreement with statements related to mobile phones, NI and RoI, March 2019
- What we think
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Subdued growth in RoI mobile phone market
- Smartphone ownership high
- Contracts the main type of mobile payment plan
- Data usage grows across the UK/NI and RoI
Market Size and Forecast
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- Mobile phone subscriptions to see slow growth in 2019
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- Figure 10: Total number of mobile phone subscribers, IoI, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Mobile phone subscriptions to growing through to 2024
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- Figure 11: Indexed number of mobile phone subscribers, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Contracts remain popular among consumers
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- Figure 12: Mobile subscriptions, by prepay and post-pay, RoI, 2014-18
- Figure 13: Percentage of customers on pre- or post-pay, by operator, RoI, 2018
- Consumers see cost of phone contracts increase
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- Figure 14: Monthly average revenue per user, by prepay and post-pay, RoI, 2014-18
- Marginal growth in value of mobile market expected in 2019
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- Figure 15: Total value of the mobile communications market, RoI, 2014-24
- Voice communications driving revenue growth in mobile market
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- Figure 16: Annualised mobile retail revenues, RoI, 2014-18
- Mobile voice traffic flat in 2018, landline minutes decline
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- Figure 17: Total voice traffic, RoI, 2014-18
- Figure 18: Proportion of voice traffic via mobile and fixed channels, RoI, 2014 and 2018
Market Drivers
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- Ownership of smartphones remains high
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- Figure 19: Ownership of, or access to, mobile technology devices, NI and RoI, March 2019
- NI consumers satisfied with mobile phone reception
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- Figure 20: Satisfaction with reception of mobile service, UK and NI, 2019
- Service performance the leading complaint for UK/NI mobile users
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- Figure 21: Reasons consumers make a complaint about mobile phones, UK (including NI), 2018
- Strong growth in mobile data usage continues in 2018
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- Figure 22: Average monthly data usage, UK (including NI), 2014-18
- Figure 23: Average mobile data usage, RoI, 2013-18
- UK/NI and RoI consumers benefit from competitive mobile data costs
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- Figure 24: Cost of 1GB of mobile data in selected European Union countries, 2018
- Smartphones a key channel for online shopping
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- Figure 25: Usage of smartphones to shop online in the last three months, NI and RoI, December 2018
- Vodafone Ireland launched first 5G trial
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Camera quality of new handsets evolving
- Three UK commits to frictionless data usage
- Sky and Tesco Mobile using main businesses to reward mobile customers
Who’s Innovating?
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- First 5G-enabled phones preparing to enter the market
- Foldable handsets ready for launch
- Handsets incorporating more rear lenses to improve picture quality
- Wireless charging is now built-in handset technology
Competitive Strategies – Key Players
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- BT Group (BT, EE, Open Reach)
- BT Mobile
- Key facts
- Products and services
- Recent developments
- EE (Everything Everywhere)
- Key facts
- Products and services
- Recent developments
- CK Hutchison Holdings (Three)
- Key facts
- Products and services
- Recent developments
- Eir Group
- Key facts
- Products and services
- Recent developments
- Post Mobile
- Key facts
- Products and services
- Sky Plc
- Key facts
- Products and services
- Recent developments
- Telefónica (O2)
- Key facts
- Products and services
- Recent developments
- Tesco Mobile
- Key facts
- Products and services
- Recent developments
- Vodafone
- Key facts
- Products and services
- Recent developments
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Android and iOS the main operating systems used
- NI mobile market dominated by O2, Three and Vodafone in RoI
- Irish consumers favour mobile phone contracts
- Satisfaction with mobile services high among Irish consumers
Manufacturer and Operating System Used
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- Apple and Samsung the leading smartphone brands in Ireland
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- Figure 26: Manufacturer of smartphone owned, NI and RoI, March 2019
- iPhone popular among young consumers
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- Figure 27: Ownership of an Apple or Samsung smartphone (eg iPhone), by age, NI, March 2019
- Figure 28: Ownership of an Apple smartphone (eg iPhone), by age, RoI, March 2019
- Android dominates operating system usage
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- Figure 29: Operating system consumers use on their smartphone, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Android popular among C2DEFs
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- Figure 30: Use of Android operating system on smartphones, by social class, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Figure 31: Use of iOS operating system on smartphones, by social class, NI and RoI, March 2019
Mobile Network Provider Used
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- O2 the main mobile network in NI
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- Figure 32: Mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, NI, March 2019
- Millennials are key O2 users
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- Figure 33: Consumers using O2 as the mobile network provider for their main mobile phone, by generation, March 2019
- Three and Vodafone dominate RoI mobile market
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- Figure 34: Mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, RoI, March 2019
- Urban rural divide in mobile network usage
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- Figure 35: Top four mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, by region, RoI, March 2019
Type of Mobile Network Connection
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- Post-paid services remain popular among Irish consumers
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- Figure 36: Type of mobile network connection, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Mobile connection type is linked to household income
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- Figure 37: Consumers’ use of pay-as-you-go and contract services with their phone, by income, NI, March 2019
- Figure 38: Consumers’ use of pay-as-you-go and contract services with their phone, by income, RoI, March 2019
Switching Mobile Network Provider
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- Irish consumers staying with current network provider
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- Figure 39: Switched mobile network provider in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, March 2019
- 16-34-year-olds most likely to switch providers
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- Figure 40: Consumers who have switched mobile network provider in the last 12 months, by age, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Switching mobile networks lowest in rural areas
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- Figure 41: Consumers who have not switched mobile network provider in the last 12 months, by location, NI, March 2019
- Figure 42: Consumers who have not switched mobile network provider in the last 12 months, by location, RoI, March 2019
Attitudes towards Mobile Phones
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- Irish consumers happy with mobile network coverage
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- Figure 43: Agreement with statements relating to mobile phones, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Urban consumers happiest with mobile network coverage
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- Figure 44: Agreement with the statement ‘I find the coverage of my phone network to be good’, by area, NI, March 2019
- Figure 45: Agreement with the statement ‘I find the coverage of my phone network to be good’, by area, RoI, March 2019
- Wireless charging appeals to Millennials
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- Figure 46: Agreement with the statement ‘I would be interested in getting a smartphone that can be charged wirelessly’, by generation, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Damaged smartphone devices highest among Millennials
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- Figure 47: Agreement with statements relating to mobile phones, by age, NI, March 2019
- Figure 48: Agreement with statements relating to mobile phones, by age, RoI, March 2019
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Data sources
- Generational cohort definitions
- Abbreviations
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