Brazil mobile base tops 242.2m at end-2011, Anatel says

According to the Brazilian telecoms regulator Anatel, the country was home to more than 242.2 million mobile SIMs at the end of December 2011, a cellular penetration of 123.97%. Net additions for the year reached 39.3 million, it said, including 6.1 million in December alone. At the year end, Anatel reported that 191.2 million connections were for pre-paid users, equivalent to 81.8% of the total base, with the remainder (44 million, or 18.2%) on monthly contracts. Telefonica-Vivo closed out the year in top spot, with 29.54% of the market (71.55 million users), ahead of TIM Brasil with 26.46% (64.08 million), which leapfrogged Claro Brazil (24.93%, or 60.38 million) in the process. Fourth place was taken by Telemar Norte Leste (Oi) which secured 45.48 million subscribers, equivalent to 18.78% of the market, and regional operator CTBC Cellular (Algar Telecom) had a total of 653,905 subscribers, or 0.07% of the sector. Anatel also noted that 3G devices (including handsets and dongles) topped 41.1 million at 31 December 2011, up 99.3% year-on-year.