Over the next five years, the mobile services market in Asia-Pacific could see competition increase among Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). This is according to Frost & Sullivan, who also reported that vendors are starting to offer customised solutions and innovative new services.
Key trends in the mobile service industry
Back in 2017, the mobile telecommunications market in Asia-Pacific served 4.04 billion subscribers. However, the report suggests that it could reach 4.58 billion by 2021, growing at a CAGR of 3.1%
According to the report, MNOs will also strengthen their Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) services portfolio. Incorporating Internet of Things (IoT) and eCommerce offerings will allow operators to do so.
Frost & Sullivan also state that increasing partnerships with IT service providers will strengthen their competencies in core IT services. These include billing, cloud, IoT, Big Data and analytics.
Finally, the research predicts that the outsourcing of tower assets and contact centre services to third-party providers will continue. This will reportedly form part of MNOs' strategy to shift from a Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) to an Operating Expenditure (OPEX) model.
The future of UC is mobile
Over the past five years, desk phone usage for conference calls has declined by 70%. Instead, a PGi report indicates that 44% of leaders would rather use a smartphone for Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C).
In just the past year, 55% of users said that their desk phone usage for conference calls had declined. Instead, 44% respondents chose to use the mobile phone and 43% utilised their PC or laptop.
Mei Lee Quah, Industry Principal Analyst at Frost & Sullivan commented on the transition towards mobile. “One of the key trends that is set to continue within the mobile services market is declining revenue in voice and messaging services, alongside strong growth in data revenue due to the proliferation of over-the-top (OTT) applications,” she said.
“The future of MNO revenue lies within digital services, a ‘mobile-first’ culture, technology as a differentiator, and customer experience," Mei stated. "MNOs also need to start planning for 5G, as they need to take a comprehensive approach to the security challenges that new opportunities with 5G will open up,” she added.
What communication trends should businesses look out for? Listen to our podcast with leading UC expert Irwin Lazar for some valuable insights
