Telkom’s fixed line numbers lowest since 1996
Telkom released its annual results for the year ended 31 March 2012 today (8 June 2012), showing a continued decline in fixed line subscribers.
According to Telkom’s latest figures the company now has 3,995,000 fixed lines, down from 4,073,000 in September 2011. This is the lowest number of subscribers since 1996.
Since the year 2000 there has been a steady decline in fixed-line numbers despite an economic boom from 2003 to 2007 and the launch of ADSL in late 2002.
What should be of particular concern to Telkom is that every segment of its fixed line business declined, as shown in the table below.
| Lines | March 2011 (’000) | March 2012 (’000) | Percentage growth |
| Fixed access lines (’000) | 4,152 | 3,995 | -3.8% |
| Post-paid – PSTN | 2,552 | 2,499 | -2.1% |
| Post-paid – ISDN channels | 772 | 767 | -0.6% |
| Pre-paid | 703 | 623 | -11.4% |
| Payphones | 125 | 106 | -15.2% |
Telkom’s steady decline in fixed line numbers since the turn of the century has been blamed on many factors including competition from mobile services, copper theft and tough economic conditions.
The following table provides an overview of Telkom fixed line growth and decline since the early nineties.
| Year | Fixed line subscribers | Change |
| 1993 | 3,458,000 | – |
| 1994 | 3,594,000 | 136,000 |
| 1995 | 3,773,000 | 179,000 |
| 1996 | 3,926,000 | 153,000 |
| 1997 | 4,259,000 | 333,000 |
| 1998 | 4,645,000 | 386,000 |
| 1999 | 5,075,000 | 430,000 |
| 2000 | 5,493,000 | 418,000 |
| 2001 | 4,962,000 | -531,000 |
| 2002 | 4,924,000 | -38,000 |
| 2003 | 4,844,000 | -80,000 |
| 2004 | 4,821,000 | -23,000 |
| 2005 | 4,726,000 | -95,000 |
| 2006 | 4,708,000 | -18,000 |
| 2007 | 4,642,000 | -66,000 |
| 2008 | 4,533,000 | -109,000 |
| 2009 | 4,451,000 | -82,000 |
| 2010 | 4,273,000 | -178,000 |
| 2011 | 4,073,000 | -200,000 |
| 2012 | 3,995,000 | -78,000 |
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