Mobile data services will continue steady growth in the
mature markets until 2012, according to forecasts made at the
recent Mobile Pricing Symposium.
Organised by research firm Tariff Consultancy, the Mobile
Pricing Symposium heard evidence from speakers that previous
forecasts made by equipment providers indicating that mobile data
usage will increase to over 1 Exabyte would be somewhat of an
underestimate if the rate of
increase of mobile broadband matches that of earlier mobile
user penetration.
“Mobile network providers will urgently need to address the
economics of provisioning their networks to handle Exabyte and
above levels of data, which will be the main driver over their
network, not voice,” warned Margrit Sessions, Managing Director of
Tariff Consultancy.
New service adoption is being led by mobile broadband which
Tariff Consultancy says has become the most dramatic example of
rapid penetration. Mobile Broadband pricing has declined by more
than half in real terms during the 3 year period from 2004 to 2007
with more broadband capacity being available for the same price.
Tariff Consultancy believes that the recent availability of
easy portable mobile data connections (such as the USB modem)
has meant that mobile data services have started to become a mass
market consumer item.
“
Mobile broadband prices in the UK market alone have dropped by
up to 50% in the last six months,” Sessions added. “Price
competition among mobile broadband providers has become intense as
the cost of devices has reduced and increased network capacity has
become available with HSDPA speeds. We believe that flat rate price
competition will continue to be severe until mobile providers learn
how to differentiate their product offer to meet the need of
individual user groups.”