The telecommunications market in Canada, Europe, Middle East/Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific declined 3.0 percent in 2009 as the global recession cut into spending on equipment and support services. Spending on equipment and support fell 8.3 percent, offsetting a 3.4 percent increase in spending on voice, data and video services. Broadband access and a tiny Internet protocol television (IPTV) sector were the only components of the market that rose at double-digit rates in 2009.

Source: 2010 ICT Market Review & Forecast

Economic conditions are stabilizing, and a recovery is expected to begin gaining momentum in 2011, with healthy economic growth extending through 2013.

Europe will be the slowest-growing region because its wireless market is saturated, which will limit increases in that component of the market.

Large gains in broadband and wireless penetration will fuel growth in Asia Pacific.

It now appears that economic conditions are stabilizing — with some countries beginning to expand and others declining at slower rates — which means the economic environment will be less negative in 2010 than in 2009. We expect an economic recovery to be in full swing by 2011, with healthy economic growth extending through 2013. When economic conditions improve, companies typically allocate more resources to investment to position themselves to capitalize on rising sales. We expect the equipment and support market to turn around in 2010, and beginning in 2011 it will again grow faster than spending on services.

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• TIA 2010 ICT Market Review & Forecast:
  Global Policy preview preview (359kb, pdf)

• Section 5-1I: International Telecommunications Review
  • Internet Access
  • Landlines
  • Wireless Subscribers
  • BRIC
  • Global Policy Issues
    • World Trade Organization
    • International Telecommunication Union
      • Green Initiatives
      • Connect the World
      • Other ITU Initiatives
• Section 5-2: Trade in Telecommunications Equipment
  • Exports
  • Imports
• Section 5-3: Canadian Market
  • Internet Access
  • Internet Protocal Television
  • Transport Services Market
  • Equipment
    • Public Network Equipment
    • Enterprise Equipment
    • Wireless Handsets
  • Wireless Handsets
  • Total Telecommunications Revenue
• Section 5-4: The European Market
  • Broadband
  • Internet Protocol Television
  • Dial-Up
  • Wireless Market
  • Landline Market
  • Equipment
    • Public Network Equipment
    • Enterprise Equipment
    • Wireless Handsets
  • Services in Support of Equipment
    • Public Network Equipment
    • Enterprise Equipment
  • Total Telecommunications Revenue in Europe
• Section 5-5: Middle East/Africa Market
  • Landline Market
  • Wireless Market
  • Broadband
  • Dial-Up
  • Equipment
    • Public Network Equipment
    • Enterprise Equipment
    • Wireless Handsets
  • Total Telecommunications Revenue in Middle East/Africa
• Section 5-6: Latin American Market
  • Dial-Up
  • Landline Market
  • Wireless Market
  • Equipment
    • Public Network Equipment
    • Enterprise Equipment
    • Wireless Handsets
  • Services in Support of Equipment
    • Public Network Equipment
    • Enterprise Equipment
  • Total Telecommunications Revenue in Latin America
• Section 5-7: Asia Pacific Market
  • Spectrum Auctions in India
  • Spectrum Auctions in China
  • Broadband
  • Internet Protocol Television
  • Dial-Up
  • Wireless Market
  • Landline Market
  • Equipment
    • Public Network Equipment
    • Enterprise Equipment
    • Wireless Handsets
  • Services in Support of Equipment
    • Public Network Equipment
    • Enterprise Equipment
  • Total Telecommunications Revenue in Asia Pacific

Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) attracted interest in recent years because of their expanding economies and surging telecommunications markets. Between 2003 and 2008, telecommunications revenue in the BRIC countries rose at an 18.2 percent compound annual rate, nearly twice the 9.9 percent compound annual increase for the rest of the international market. The BRIC countries were not immune to the global recession in 2009, and spending fell 0.3 percent, although this was less than the 3.7 percent decline for other international markets. India and Brazil continued to expand in 2009 but China decreased 2.3 percent, in large part because of accelerated spending in previous years in preparation for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Russia recorded a 0.8 percent decrease as its economy weakened.