Honduras mobile users down 3% from 1Q14

Honduras ended 2014 with 7.73mn mobile subscribers, down 3.1% from the total registered at the start of the year, according to regulator Conatel.

Conatel's figures show that the market lost some 250,000 mobile lines between 1Q14 and 2Q14, with further losses in 3Q14 that were recovered in 4Q14. However, the institution gave no explanation for the initial loss in 2Q14.

This could be due to a change in the methodology for reporting lines in service. In 4Q14 Conatel redefined fixed broadband as having minimum speed of 1Mbps, rather than 512Kbps, which led to a reduction in the reported number of fixed broadband lines.

Thus, fixed broadband lines fell to 114,483 in 4Q14 from 121,476 in 3Q14. Without the change in reporting, and assuming the same growth rate seen in 3Q14, fixed broadband providers could have reported some 30,000 more lines.

The number of mobile internet subscribers also suffered a slight decline during the first nine months of the year, but recovered during 4Q14 to reach 1.35mn subscriptions by year-end, up 11% compared to the 1.22mn reported in 1Q14.

Fixed line incumbent Hondutel ended the year with 532,583 active lines, having fallen steadily each quarter and this last figure representing an 8.5% decrease compared to 1Q14.