Mar­ket mon­i­tor­ing

• NI-ICS market overview
• Consumer survey in 2023

The increasing use of the internet and mobile devices (in particular smartphones) has led to messaging, internet telephony, video telephony and video conferencing services becoming firmly established alongside traditional telecommunications services (such as fixed and mobile telephony). The growth in the importance of online communications services is leading to fundamental changes in the way people communicate and can also have effects on the regulated telecommunications markets. The Bundesnetzagentur monitors and analyses market developments in the field of online communications services and NI-ICS from both the providers’ perspective (NI-ICS market overview) and the consumers’ perspective (consumer surveys) in order to gain an overview of the market that is as exhaustive as possible.

NI-ICS market overview

The revised Telecommunications Act extended the Bundesnetzagentur’s powers for obtaining information to include providers of NI-ICS. The Bundesnetzagentur has introduced an annual mandatory survey for providers with the greatest market relevance in Germany, requiring them to submit their market data for the previous calendar year. The Bundesnetzagentur carried out the first survey at the beginning of 2023 with the primary aim of being able to assess the structure of the market as well as the status and development of competition in the telecommunications sector.
The results of the annual NI-ICS market data surveys are published in the Bundesnetzagentur’s annual telecoms reports, which are available from the media library on the Bundesnetzagentur’s website.

Consumer survey in 2023

Empirical consumer surveys provide an important basis for identifying and assessing changes in communication patterns. The results of a representative consumer survey on the use of online communications services in Germany are an important basis for the Bundesnetzagentur’s market monitoring and consumer protection activities.

Results 2023 (excerpt)

The most frequently used functionalities are sending and receiving text messages and images, and sending and receiving voice messages. 92% of users send and/or receive text messages and images while 66% send and/or receive voice messages. The use of video and internet telephony functionalities is increasing. Considerably more than half of the users of online communications services now use these two functionalities. Overall, the percentage of use has risen to 58% for internet telephony and 56% for video telephony.

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