Telecom Lead Brazil: Vivo is the market leader of the
Brazil’s mobile telecom market with about 29 percent of the market share,
followed by TIM Brasil and Claro account for 26 percent and 25 percent
respectively. The two companies have been vying for second and third place
since 2004.
According to Research and Markets, Brazil’s mobile
telecom market is being dominated by Spanish Telefnica’s Vivo, Mexican Amrica
Mvil’s Claro, Telecom Italia’s TIM Brasil, and Oi, controlled by Portugal
Telecom and the Brazilian Andrade Gutierrez group.
Oi is fourth with 18 percent. The remaining 2 percent of
the market is shared between CTBC Telecom, Sercomtel, and Nextel Brasil.
The research firm revealed that these four operators
together control 98 percent of the country’s mobile subscriber base.
Interestingly, the research firm revealed that start-up
mobile operator Unicel, trading as Aeiou, has disappeared from the market leaving
around R$100 million in debts.
Spain’s Telefnica has undertaken a corporate restructure
in Brazil with the acquisition of Portugal Telecom’s half of mobile operator
Vivo, the firm added.
Furthermore, Vivo Participaes has been incorporated into
the group’s Brazilian fixed-line incumbent Telesp, and the merged company has
been renamed Telefnica Brasil. The name Vivo has been retained as a trademark
for mobile business.
The firm also said that Nextel is rolling out 3G services
in the second half of 2012.
