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This report looks at how operators in Africa and the Middle East can leverage the SMS platform to boost revenue from the largest, lowest-income subscriber segments. We first examine peer-to-peer SMS in the region, a service that accounted for about 60% of total mobile data revenue in AME in 2008, and will continue to be the largest single contributor to data revenue over the forecast period. We also analyze some of the latest and most successful SMS-based services, examining in detail how operators have implemented four of these services in three key markets: South Africa, Egypt and the UAE. The fast subscriber growth that AME operators are witnessing — a 39% annual CAGR over the past four years and a forecast 8% annual CAGR from 2009-2013 — is posing some serious challenges related to network efficiency and declining ARPS. However, over the next four years, SMS-based services will be a powerful tool that operators can use to target the large base of low-income subscribers and generate higher revenues from both data and voice, adding up to a minimum of US$6bn in new annual revenue by 2013.
Published monthly for each of the world’s most dynamic regions, Telecom Insiders are packed with trend analysis, industry best practices, market sizing and forecasting, competitor analysis, and case studies, providing you information you can leverage to make better business decisions. For more information about Telecom Insiders, please contact Jeff Claudino via email at claudino@pyr.com or telephone at +1.619.229.9940
Author: Badii Kechiche
Publication Date: March 2009
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