Data will account for 40% of all roaming revenues by 2017, according to a report from Juniper Research.
The report, Mobile Roaming: Challenges, Opportunities & Market Forecasts 2012-2017, finds that mobile data roamers will grow 21% annually to generate $37 billion in roaming revenues for mobile operators in 2017, representing 40% of the total market.
Juniper found that as the majority of mobile customers are using voice services when roaming abroad, this offers network operators little opportunity to add value or enhance services. Data roaming, on the other hand, provides operators with the opportunity to convert ‘non data’ roamers to become active data roamers by the introduction of data bundles and roaming plans.
SMS roaming revenue also offers little growth opportunity for operators. Report author Nitin Bhas noted: “As data roaming costs are further reduced and smartphone owners find so-called OTT (Over-the-Top) services – such as eBuddy and Whatsapp – a cheaper alternative, the average spend per SMS roaming will decline over the forecast period”.
Juniper also forecast that total mobile roaming revenues would exceed $80bn by 2017, compared to over $46 billion this year. Western Europe will account for the highest proportion of the global mobile data roaming revenue.