General conditions and market en­vi­ron­ment

Swisscom operates in a very dynamic en­vi­ron­ment. Megatrends such as de­mo­graphic change, a sharper focus on health-related topics and the growing im­por­tance of sustainability are indelibly shaping and altering Swiss society and the economy and have a long-term impact on the activities of Swisscom as a result. By the same token, the expansion of ultra-fast broad­band, the increasing penetration of cloud computing and the advancements made in the field of artificial intelligence are short- to medium-term trends that impact Swisscom’s business. Digitisation is being accelerated even further by the global Covid-19 pandemic as it penetrates more and more into all spheres of life. Customer behaviour has also undergone a lasting change, as indicated by, among other things, the increased use of online channels for shopping and making contact as well as the rise of contactless payment. The pandemic has caused the im­por­tance of high-per­for­mance networks to grow and ex­pec­ta­tions regarding the stability and availability of the network in­fra­struc­ture will continue to rise as a result.

Digitisation is leading to new, rapidly developing business models. Swisscom’s core business is characterised by fierce competition with strong price pressure. The overall market for con­nec­tiv­ity services continues to shrink in Switzer­land and Italy. Global Internet com­pa­nies are using their economies of scale and forcing themselves into local ICT markets for both residential and business cus­tomers.