ESIS extension - Latvia - Basic Facts January 2001

Update: January 2001

Latvia

These pages present basic facts and technology indicators about the Information Society developments in Latvia.

All data have been collected at the end of 2000 from readily publicly available sources of information. Since they depend on definitions which are not standardised in all countries, or, in some cases on estimates, and also due to the difficulty to obtain statistical data and series in several countries covered, these indicators should be considered only as indicative of trends and general tendencies.

This report has been prepared under the sole responsibility of the ESIS II contractors. We welcome any additional information or corrections. Please contact the ESIS contractor in charge of the country concerned.

1. Economic data

1.1 General socio-economic data

		Reference year
Total area (km2)	64,589	2000
Population (million)	2.48 2.46 2.44 2.38 2.37	End of the year 1996 1997 1998 1999 November 2000
Gross national Product (GNP) (EURO billion)	7.08 5.74 (nine months)	1999 Jan – Sep of 2000
Real Growth Domestic Product (GDP) Growth Rate (%) / previous year	+1.1% +5.4%	1999 Jan – Sep of 2000
Growth National Product (GNP) per capita (EURO)	2975 2416 (nine months)	1999 Jan – Sep of 2000
Economic structure	Agriculture: 4.1% Industry: 25.4% Services: 70.5%	June 2000

Source : Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia

1.2 Telecom market size

	End 1996	End 1997	End 1998	End 1999	June 2000
Operators market (EURO million)
PSTN	130.0	158.0	185.0	202.0	105.0
ISDN	0	0	n/a	n/a	n/a
Value-Added Services	n/a	n/a	27.0	33.0	18.0
Mobile	25.0	59.0	133.0	152.0	97.0
Satellite	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Cable	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Equipment market (EURO million )	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Total Telecom market (EURO million)	155.0	217.0	345.0	387.0	220.0 (half year)

Source: Annual and interim reports of the operators

1.3 Computer market size

	End 1996	End 1997	End 1998	End 1999
Services market (EURO million)	16.1	25.3	n/a
Equipment market (EURO million)	n/a	105
Total Computer market (EURO million)	n/a	130.3	140	150

Source: Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia and Statistics of the Latvian Association of Computer Manufacturers

2. Actors and competition

2.1 Fixed Operators

Number of operators having a license December 2000

Source : Law "On Telecommunications"

Fixed operators December 2000

Lattelekom - historical operator

Source : Law "On Telecommunications"

2.2 Mobile Operators

Name of Operator	Type of network	Number of subscribers			% of the market (December 2000)
Name of Operator	Type of network	End 1998	End 1999	December 2000	% of the market (December 2000)
LMT	GSM; NMT	125 300	202 100	262 500	70%
Baltcom	GSM	42 860	80 120	115 000	30%

Source : Reports of the operators

2.3 Internet Service Providers

Estimation of the Number of Internet Service Providers	Last reference date
Near to 40	December 2000

Source : Department of Informatics of the Ministry of Transport

Main Internet Services Providers, December 2000
Company	Web sites	Number of subscribers

Latnet	http://www.latnet.lv/	20 000
Apollo Internet	http://www.apollo.lv/	34 000
Delfi Internet	http://internet.delfi.lv/	30 000
Telia Latvia	http://www.telia.lv/	24 000
Other		42 000
Total		150 000

Source : Latvia Internet association, IG Komunikacijas

2.4 Portals

Main portals December 2000
Name	Internet Address
Delfi	http://www.delfi.lv/
Apollo	http://www.apollo.lv/
TVnet	http://www.tvnet.lv/
Fundamental	http://www.fundamental.lv

Source : http://www.top.lv/

3. Basic Indicators

3.1 Telephones lines

	End 1996	End 1997	End 1998	End 1999	November 2000
Total number of conventional lines	731,000	740,000	738,600	720,250	714,600
Total number of 64k ISDN lines (subscriptions)	0	0	3,700	11,300	19,600
Total number of mobile phone lines	28,500	76,000	168,000	282,220	377,500
Total number of lines	759,500	816,000	910,300	1,013,770	1,111,700

Sources: Reports of the operators

	End 1996	End 1997	End 1998	End 1999	November 2000
Total number of conventional lines per 100 inh.	29.5	30.1	30.3	30.3	30.2
Total number of 64k ISDN lines (subscriptions) per 100 inh.	0	0	Negligible	0.47	0.83
Total number of mobile phone lines per 100 inh.	1.2	3.1	6.9	11.9	14.8
Total number of lines per 100 inh.	30.7	33.2	37.3	42.7	45.8

Source : Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia; reports of the operators

	End 1996	End 1997	End 1998	End 1999	November 2000
% of 64k ISDN lines (subscriptions) / Total number of lines	0	0	Negligible	1.1%	1.8%
% of mobiles phone lines / Total number of lines	3.7%	9.3%	18.4%	27.8%	32.3%

Source: Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia; reports of the operators

3.2 Telecom equipment

		End 1996	End 1997	End 1998	End 1999	November 2000
Telephones sets	Installed base	741 600	767 640	784 000	806 400	805,300
	Penetration rate (units per 100 inh.)	29.9	31.2	32.1	33.9	34.0
Public pay phones	Installed base	3900	3860	4000	3760	3580
	Penetration rate (units per 1000 inh.)	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.5
Fax machines	Installed base	n/a	n/a	120 000	121 000	n/a
	Penetration rate (units per 1000 inh.)	n/a	n/a	49	50	n/a
Modems	Installed base	n/a	n/a	14 000	20 000	40 000
	Penetration rate (units per 1000 inh.)	n/a	n/a	5.8	8.4	16.9
Pagers	Installed base	n/a	25 000	26 000	26 000	n/a
	Penetration rate (units per 1000 inh.)	n/a	10.2	11	11

Source: expert estimation; telephone sets; public pay phones – Lattelekom statistics

3.3 Personal computers

	End 1998	End 1999	October 2000
Total number of Home PCs	24 000	32 000	50 000
Total number of Business PCs	156 000	188 000
Total number of PCs	180 000	220 000

Source : expert estimation

	End 1998	End 1999
Total number of PCs per 100 inh.	7.4	9.2

Source : expert estimation

3.4 Internet

3.4.1 General data

	End 1998	End 1999	November 2000
Number of internet users	80,000	113,000	150,000
Number of Internet domestic users	8,000	10,000	45,000
Number of Internet users per 100 inh		5.2	8.2
Estimation of Internet penetration rate in companies	34%		45%

Source : BMF Gallup Media; IG Communication

3.4.2 E-Commerce

November 2000

E-commerce market (EURO Million)

0.2

E-commerce spending per 100 inh (Euros)

8.4

Source : IG Communication

3.4.3 Internet hosts

Number of Internet hosts

Last reference date

19,700

November 2000

Source : RIPE statistics

3.5 Miscellaneous

Television

Total number

Number per 100 inh.

Last reference date

Number of TV sets

950 000

39

Jan. 1999

Number of Home Cable TV Subscribers

120 000

5

Jan. 1999

Number of Home equipped with Satellite

30 000

1

Jan. 1999

Source: expert estimation, Baltcom TV

Waiting Time

Average waiting time

Last reference date

Average waiting time for fixed telephone subscription

1-12 month, depending on location. Total 17 000 people are in a waiting list

June 2000

Sources: Report of the Lattelekom

Network digitisation

Rate

Last reference date

Network digitisation rate

43%

June 2000

Source: Report of the Lattelekom

4. The use of public network

4.1 Voice

End 1996

End 1997

End 1998

End 1999

November 2000

Number of calls per inh.

18.7
(without local)

32.7
(without local)

40.0
(without local)

55.1
(without local)

65.5
(without local)

Number of minutes called per inh.

64.5
(without local)

83.4
(without local)

107.9
(without local)

121.3
(without local)

139.3
(without local)

Total number of minutes of national communications (million)

110.0
(long distance)

129.4
(long distance)

146.4
(long distance)

149.8
(long distance)

143.5
(long distance)

Total number of minutes of international communications (million)

131

142

146

187

Total number of minutes (million)

n/a

252 (without local)

288 (without local)

295
(without local)

330
(without local)

Source: Annual Report Ministry of Transport to ITU; Lattelekom statistics

4.2 Data

End 1997

End 1998

Switched (tera octets)

IP (tera octets)

11

18

X25 (tera octets)

0.05

0.05

Frame Relay (tera octets)

0

0.03

ATM (tera octets)

0.01

0.01

Total Traffic (tera octets)

11.1

18.1

Source : Latvian GIX statistics and expert estimation

5. The telephone tariffs of historical operator

End 1996

End 1997

End 1998

End 1999

November 2000

Fixed costs (EURO)

Installation for main line

55

110

110

110

127.3

Rental per month for main line

3.0

3.9

4.7

6.0

6.4

Variable costs (EURO)

Local call per minute

0.02

0.03

0.03

0.04

0.04

Long Distance call per minute

0.22

0.22

0.22

0.12

0.13

Average of International call per minute

2.30

2.30

1.60

0.80

0.86

Source : Telecommunications Tariff Council report ; http://www.lattelekom.lv/

	November 2000
E-commerce market (EURO Million)	0.2
E-commerce spending per 100 inh (Euros)	8.4

Number of Internet hosts	Last reference date
19,700	November 2000

*Television*	Total number	Number per 100 inh.	Last reference date
Number of TV sets	950 000	39	Jan. 1999
Number of Home Cable TV Subscribers	120 000	5	Jan. 1999
Number of Home equipped with Satellite	30 000	1	Jan. 1999

*Waiting Time*	Average waiting time	Last reference date
Average waiting time for fixed telephone subscription	1-12 month, depending on location. Total 17 000 people are in a waiting list	June 2000

*Network digitisation*	Rate	Last reference date
Network digitisation rate	43%	June 2000

	End 1997	End 1998
Switched (tera octets)
IP (tera octets)	11	18
X25 (tera octets)	0.05	0.05
Frame Relay (tera octets)	0	0.03
ATM (tera octets)	0.01	0.01
Total Traffic (tera octets)	11.1	18.1