Colombia. According to this new version of the report developed by the CRC, the telecommunications sector grew 2.5 times more than the country's economy in general, which shows the contribution of communications and postal services to the economic reactivation. While the Gross Domestic Product grew at a rate of 0.6%, the sector stood out with a growth of 1.5%.
These are some of the most relevant data from the study:
During 2023, telecommunications services generated revenues of 27.1 trillion pesos, which represents an increase of 3.11% compared to 2022. Internet, fixed and mobile service accounted for 61.8% of total revenues.
Mobile Internet traffic grew 37.6%, reaching 4.15 million terabytes. 78.1% of this traffic was generated by users who pay a fixed charge periodically (postpaid). Mobile phone traffic continues the downward trend with a decrease in total minutes spent of 22.6% compared to 2022.
Mobile services are the most used. For every 100 people, there are 167 voice lines, while in the case of Internet service, 86 out of every 100 people have access to this service.
Fixed Internet service connections grew 0.6% compared to 2022, reaching 8.97 million connections. The penetration of this service was 50.3 accesses per 100 households. Fixed internet connections through fiber optics increased 24.6% in 2023, representing 37% of total connections to the service.
Mobile Internet accesses increased 12.1% compared to 2022, reaching 44.95 million connections. 4G technology is the most used to access mobile internet service with 89.8% of total accesses, while 3G technology accounted for 9.4% and 2G technology 0.9%.
In television and radio services, revenue growth was not enough to cover inflation in 2023, showing a drop in real terms of 8.8% as a whole.
The ownership of Smart TVs grew 9%, reaching presence in 53% of Colombian households, while 44% had color television without direct Internet access.
Open television consumption is concentrated in news (39.2%), followed by novels (23.2%) and movies (20.2%), while, in the case of online streaming applications, the most watched content is movies (24%) and series (21%).
Revenues from the postal sector showed a reduction of 8.9% in real terms, reporting 2.5 trillion pesos, of which 81.3% corresponds to revenues generated by the express courier service, which grew by 2.8% compared to 2022. Postal services and money orders showed a decrease in real terms of 17.7% and 34.6% respectively.
"The ICT and Postal Industry Report 2023 highlights the crucial role of telecommunications services in the economic reactivation and digital transformation of the country. The sector's strong performance, with revenues of 27.1 trillion pesos in 2023, reflects its relevance in Colombia's digital transformation and economic recovery. The results of this analysis show the need to continue promoting the deployment of infrastructure through regulation and public policy to continue connecting the country through more and better services," explained Lina María Duque Del Vecchio, Commissioner and Executive Director of the CRC.
For the full report, click here.
