Capital Intensity Increasing by 6 Percent in 1H 2019, According to Dell'Oro Group

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Sep 16, 2019, 08:00 ET

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recently published report from Dell'Oro Group, the trusted source for market information about the telecommunications, networks, and data center IT industries, worldwide telecom capital intensity levels increased at a rapid pace in the first half of 2019, reflecting stable currency adjusted revenue growth in combination with healthy capex growth, resulting in a 6 percent increase year-over-year or nearly a one-percentage point increase in worldwide telecom capex/revenue.

"With constrained operator revenue growth being a significant inhibitor of sustained capex acceleration, the pickup in 1H19 capital intensity levels underpinned projections that operators are comfortable with some deviation in the short-term to accommodate the rollout of 5G," said Stefan Pongratz, analyst and vice president with the Dell'Oro Group. "At the same time, after six consecutive years of low-single digit revenue growth, operators are not interested to return to historical capex/revenue ratios," continued Pongratz.

Additional highlights from the 1H 2019 Telecom Capex Report:

Worldwide capital intensity ratios – wireless plus wireline – are projected to advance at a 1 percent CAGR between 2018 and 2021, driven primarily by a healthy uptick in wireless capex/revenue.
Wireless investments in the Asia Pacific region, propelled by the rapid shift from 4G to 5G, are projected to drive the lion share of the capex upside over the 2018 to 2021 forecast period.
After two consecutive years of capex expansion in the U.S, the full year 2019 outlook remains favorable but the investment envelope beyond 2019 will likely be more subdued, partly due to mid-band spectrum delays.

About the Report
The Dell'Oro Group Telecom Capex Report provides in-depth coverage of more than 50 telecom operators highlighting carrier revenue, capital expenditure, and capital intensity trends. The report provides actual and 3-year forecast details by carrier, by region by country (United States, Canada, China, India, Japan, and South Korea), and by technology (wireless/wireline). To purchase this report, please contact by email at [email protected].

About Dell'Oro Group
Dell'Oro Group is a market research firm that specializes in strategic competitive analysis in the telecommunications, networks, and data center IT markets. Our firm provides in-depth quantitative data and qualitative analysis to facilitate critical, fact-based business decisions. For more information, please contact Dell'Oro Group at +1.650.622.9400 or visit www.delloro.com.

SOURCE Dell'Oro Group