Forecasting and benchmarking

Analysys Mason is renowned for the quality and reliability of its data – both historical and forecast. We have been producing datasets which are the mainstay of our clients’ analytical and planning toolkit for nearly 20 years. We have developed robust processes and comprehensive models to capture key market data, analyse trends and understand market dynamics. 

Our clients include:

• Telecoms operators which use historical benchmarking to assess their own performance, where our forecasts inform their strategic investment and marketing decisions.
• Regulators which use our data to monitor competitiveness and identify market distortions.
• Financial institutions which wish to understand the telecoms market in a particular geography for a potential investment decision.

They can depend on our data to be consistent and accurate, and for our forecasts to capture key market drivers. This rigour is applied to our entire forecasting and benchmarking process, from gathering raw data to projecting market outcomes.

Benchmarking

We gather historical telecoms market data for 85 countries, and provide data for over 500 operators worldwide. Our sources include operator and regulator reporting, as well as government statistics, news items and press reports. We use nearly 300 metrics to describe the telecoms market in each country, including connections, revenue, traffic and key financial performance indicators for operators. This provides a solid basis for insightful analysis and benchmarking.

Benchmarking is only a meaningful exercise if the historical data it is based on is consistent and complete. We pride ourselves on the rigour we apply to our data-collection process, which goes far beyond gathering numerical data and re-publishing it verbatim. Our meticulous process includes the following elements:

• We scrutinise definitions of published data (from operators, regulators, national statistics) and re-model the data to standardise to a common set of definitions. 
• We reconcile contradictory sources, liaising with the data owners where necessary.
• We also use our considerable experience and expertise to fill in the gaps where data is not reported using extrapolation, interpolation, statistical analysis and benchmarking.

This approach means we can be sure that comparisons across operators and countries are meaningful, and that the total market data has neither gaps, nor double counting.

Forecasting

The complete historical dataset provides a secure foundation on which to build our forecasting work. We use our own range of complex models, which provide a logical framework for the study of market drivers and dynamics. Our forecasts take into account forthcoming regulatory, economic and competitive market developments,  as well as being informed by insights from our in-house primary survey research into customer behaviour. Our specialist forecasting teams supply experience of specific topics (such as Internet of Things, data traffic and operator business forecasts) as well as geographical expertise across the worldwide telecoms market. We apply carefully devised processes to ensure that our data remains consistent across the entire suite of models.

We present our data (Actuals and Forecasts) via the Analysys Mason DataHub, an online database tool, which has been enthusiastically received by our clients for its intuitive interface and ease of use. Our clients rely on the high quality of our data to inform their key strategic decisions.