Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)
Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 0.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €2.0bn in 2025.
Trends and Insights
Mobile data usage soars as people spend more and more time on their phones
- A significant surge in mobile data usage is transforming Europe's wireless telecommunication industry, driven by the widespread adoption of OTT apps like WhatsApp, iMessage and Facebook Messenger. Data consumption across Ireland has risen sharply, reaching a total of 474.8 million GB in Q1 2025, up 59.9% from Q1 2022, as reported by ComReg. This trend is fuelled by greater internet browsing, social media engagement and online transactions, shifting consumer behaviour toward data-centric communication.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2025-2030)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Data sales must make up losses from other services
- The telecommunications industry will continue to witness a significant decline in traditional cellular communications, like SMS, MMS and PSTN services, as internet-based Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger gain dominance. Global OTT business messaging traffic is projected to surge from 93 billion messages in 2023 to 254 billion by 2027, a 172% increase, driven by competitive pricing and rich media capabilities, according to REVE Systems.
Biggest companies in the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers in Ireland
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue (€m)
2025 |
|---|---|---|
Vodafone Ireland Ltd | 652.6 | |
Three Ireland (Hutchison) Ltd | 645.9 | |
Eircom Holdings (Ireland) Ltd | 339.8 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Data services, Voice and bundled services and Wholesale. Data services is the largest segment of the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers in Ireland.
Trends and Insights
Mobile voice traffic tumbles
- An increasing number of people are making calls using their mobile data or Wi-Fi, which is drawing some revenue away from voice services.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Participants in this industry operate, maintain and provide access to facilities for the transmission of voice, data, text, sound and video using a wireless telecommunications infrastructure. Businesses in this industry also provide internet access through wireless infrastructure. The industry does not include telecommunications resellers.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland include Data services, Providing wireless data services, Voice and bundled services, Wholesale and Text services.Companies
Companies covered in the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland include Vodafone Ireland Ltd, Three Ireland (Hutchison) Ltd and Eircom Holdings (Ireland) Ltd.Purchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
Related terms covered in the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland include mobile network operator (mno), mobile virtual network operator (mvno) and average revenue per user (arpu).Industry Code
SIC 61.20 - Wireless Telecommunications Carriers in Ireland
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
People are switching to OTT apps. Consumers are using fewer wireless services like SMS and voice calls, which is concentrating the industry on data provision.
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Data services stay on top. It makes up more than half of wireless telecoms carriers’ revenue and only looks to keep growing.
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2025
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2025
- Major market segmentation in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Populous areas offer higher sales. It goes without saying that more people means more sales for wireless telecoms providers – that’s why they tend towards the more populated ...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Little service differentiation means pricing is key. Customers seek out the best value for money and are easily able to switch between providers if they want a better deal.
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Three’s 5G offerings help it stay on top. The company’s 5G services cover approximately 85% of Ireland and it’s been named the country’s best 5G network, drawing customers in...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
- Overview of Vodafone Ireland Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of Three Ireland (Hutchison) Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of Eircom Holdings (Ireland) Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Vodafone Ireland Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Three Ireland (Hutchison) Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Eircom Holdings (Ireland) Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Government support props up the 5G rollout. The Digital Connectivity Strategy for Ireland offers both direct and indirect support to expand 5G to the whole of Ireland by 2030...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Profit stays strong in the face of high investment. Wireless carriers have been pouring money into expanding their networks to facilitate the 5G rollout, but growing demand m...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
- Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Average Wage (2015-2030)
- Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
- Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2015-2030)
- IVA (2015-2030)
- Establishments (2015-2030)
- Enterprises (2015-2030)
- Employment (2015-2030)
- Exports (2015-2030)
- Imports (2015-2030)
- Wages (2015-2030)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland in 2025?
The market size of the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland is €2.0bn in 2025.
How many businesses are there in the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland in 2025?
There are 167 businesses in the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland, which has grown at a CAGR of 1.5 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland?
The Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland?
The Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland has been declining at a CAGR of 0.2 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland?
The biggest companies operating in the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland are Vodafone Ireland Ltd, Three Ireland (Hutchison) Ltd and Eircom Holdings (Ireland) Ltd
What does the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland include?
Data services and Providing wireless data services are part of the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland?
The company holding the most market share in the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland is Vodafone Ireland Ltd.
How competitive is the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry in Ireland.
Related Industries
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Competitors
Complementors
View all industries in Ireland
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in Ireland include:
- Central Statistics Office
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Irish Tax & Customs
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
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