-
 Mobile data revenues for the Indian subcontinent are expected to reach
$8.3 billion by 2013, largely driven by purchases related to music,
browsing, and games, according to a report titled Mobile Indian Sub
Continent by U.S. survey firm Juniper Research.
The 67-page study found that while ringtones are currently the most lucrative service across the region - which includes Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka - games, mobile TV, browsing, and full-track downloads would all constitute substantial revenue streams by 2013.
Though 3G services will likely not launch in the region until 2009, Juniper Research predicts that mobile data revenue growth would be further bolstered as 3G networks are deployed. The report also found that the subcontinent's mobile user base would rise from 431 million in 2008 to nearly 740 million in 2013, average revenue per user levels will decline steadily across the region, and India will provide the largest share of cumulative regional revenues over the forecast period, followed by Pakistan.
Said the report's author, Dr Windsor Holden: "With the limited availability and relatively high cost of fixed broadband Internet across the sub continent, the mobile handset has become the de facto means of accessing Internet services. Regional operators were among the first to realise that low data pricing was central to encouraging service adoption, and it has paid dividends for them."
By
Eric Caoili
2008-07-23 13:39:08
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