Despite falling voice revenue, Informa Telecoms & Media is predicting that total annual mobile services revenue will exceed $1 trillion globally in 2013.

The latest Global Mobile Forecasts report also indicates that data revenue will account for more than $330 billion that year, up from $208 billion in 2008. Increase in consumer use of mobile broadband services can be credited for the predicted uptake in data revenue.

?These figures indicate that the quality and coverage of a mobile operator?s network remains an important differentiator,? said Nicholas Jotischky, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media, London.

Informa Telecoms & Media is a provider of business intelligence and strategic services to the global telecoms and media markets.

Mobile Japan
Informa predicts that data revenue and the data average revenue per user in Japan will actually surpass voice revenue and average revenue per user in 2014.

Japan?s wireless carriers are looking for more sustainable revenue streams by offering personalized services that make use of their high network capacity for data.

The advent of 4G long-term evolution networks in Japan and other markets should help to support this boom in data revenue.

According to Informa, data revenue in Japan will reach $39.7 billion in 2014. Monthly data average revenue per user will be $24.56, the highest in the world.

Second-generation mobile technologies still account for 90 percent of the world?s subscriptions, but by the end of 2012 it will be 70 percent.

Carriers compete
By the end of 2014, Informa said more than half the world?s 6.7 billion mobile subscriptions will be to 3G and 3.5G+ technologies.

Also by the end of 2014, 3.5G+ technology will represent more than one-third of the total number of subscriptions.
 
Informa said these figures indicate that the quality and coverage of a carrier?s network remains an important differentiator.

?This represents a huge switch in usage patterns and the way in which mobile operators will market their services,? Mr. Jotischky said.

Informa forecasts the global subscription penetration is set to reach 92 percent in 2014 and that meaningful new growth is still available in rural parts of Africa and Asia-Pacific, making data service strategies central to carriers.

Also, carriers will be able to generate new revenue and minimize the impact of churn at a time of competition.

?The explosion of mobile broadband has renewed the significance of the network itself as operators market their mobile broadband services around the speed and geographical range of their network,? Mr. Jotischky said.