Mobile Telecommunication Developments Worldwide

Asia/Pacific

According to a recent report, mobile data use will become the key revenue driver for operators in Malaysia and will exceed mobile voice revenue in 2017. The growth will result from an increase in 4G LTE service, lower-end smart devices and affordable data offerings from operators. Robust media content that is becoming more and more available to users will also drive data use in the country.

Europe

U.K. mobile operator EE has launched what it says is the world’s first pop-up retail bundle. The MNO has partnered with Appear Here—a company that rents vacant spaces to businesses—the British Retail Consortium and entrepreneurs to launch the Pop-UP UK bundle. The bundle, which costs £11.25 (US $19.20) per month, includes 4G service for 30 days and discounts on products outside the telecom industry that are suitable for pop-up businesses. According to a recent report, pop-up retailers contribute £2.1 billion (US $3.58 billion) to the U.K. economy each year. The figure is expected to grow by 8.4 percent over the next 12 months; however, the report indicates that the sector could experience double-digit growth with improved technology. By using EE’s 4G network on their mobile devices, pop-ups can receive mobile payments, connect with customers via social media and securely access data from cloud storage.

Latin America

A recent study that involved the 100 top commercial banks in Latin America has indicated that approximately 92 percent of these institutions will offer mobile banking services by the end of 2014. Through 2013, 80 percent of the region’s banks had offered mobile banking services. In addition to the increased number of banks, there has been an increase in the types of mobile financial services that are being offered.

Middle East/Africa

Etisalat Nigeria has launched Vringo, a video ringtone service that is available on Android phones. To use the service, subscribers can download the app, which will enable their devices to play a video clip (sound included) instead of an audio clip as a ringtone. The content of the available video clips includes movies, musicals, comedy and football. The service costs NGN 100.00 (US $0.62) per month, and subscribers will receive the first month at no charge.

North America

U.S. operator Sprint has partnered with PlayPhone, Inc., a global mobile social gaming developer, to offer gaming content to prepaid customers of the operator’s MVNOs Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA. The service is an add-on feature and will be charged as a flat rate. This collaboration will enable game developers to reach the prepaid market, a budget-conscious sector of the customer base that may hesitate to use credit cards, and as a result may not previously have had access to gaming content.

The above item appeared in a recent issue of The Tarifica Alert, a weekly resource that analyzes noteworthy developments in the telecoms industry from around the world. To access all of the latest articles and issues:  http://www.tarifica.com/TarificaAlert.aspx