RP mobile penetration rate seen to reach 147%

Mobile phone penetration rate in the Philippines will hit 147 percent over the next five years, according to a report by research firm Business Monitor International.

The research company said in its Philippines Telecommunication Report there were 68.056 million mobile phone subscribers as of December 2008, translating into a penetration rate of 75.9 percent in the Philippines.

BMI said that while growth was slowing due to the maturity of the market, it “estimates that over the next five years ended 2013, penetration rates will reach 147 percent.”

“Growth during 2009 and 2013 will slow, not only due to maturity, but as a result of weakened domestic consumption impacted by the Philippines ties with the US and the world recession,” it added.

Meanwhile, the research firm said the number of broadband subscribers in the Philippines hit 1.335 million as of end-2008, up by 77 percent from 756,167 in 2007.

The figures covered just the subscribers of the country’s three largest telecom operators, namely Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., Globe Telecom and Bayan Telecommunication.

PLDT’s broadband subscribers increased 72 percent to 995,916 million as of December 2008.It has exceeded the one-million mark this year, according to company president Napoleon Nazareno. –Roderick T. dela Cruz, Manila Standard Today