[In-Stat] Mobile VoIP Revenues to Reach $4B in 2015

   

If you can't beat them - join them. Last year we saw how KPN tried to impose a surcharge on VoIP OTT and failed (here), a complaint against SK and KT for blocking VoIP (here),a  report showing MNOs concerns of revenues lost (here) and a recommendation from Yankee "MNOs Should Give Customers Choices for VoIP" (here).

It seems that some MNOs were listening.   

A report by Amy Cravens (pictured), Senior Analyst, In-Stat forecasts that "active mobile VoIP subscriber rates will triple in 2012, growing from 9 million in 2011 to 29 million .. As the addressable market increases with smartphone penetration a greater number of providers are introducing services, including a growing handful of mobile operators that are beginning to embrace mobile VoIP" 

(the original text reads 2011 and 2010, but it seems to be a New-Year hangover effect).

" ..  Revenues associated with mobile VoIP usage will increase to over $4 billion in 2015; LTE operators are not likely to have a significant impact on the mobile VoIP market until 2013"

See "Active Mobile VoIP Subscribers to Triple in 2011" - here.

In-Stat: Wi-Fi Hotspot Growth Continues to be Strong

 

A new report from In-Stat concludes that "While venue growth in Wi-Fi Hotspots has been and continues to be strong, usage growth has been phenomenal. AT&T reported a fivefold increase from 1Q09 to 1Q10.  Other operators have experienced similarly strong growth in usage.  In-Stat projects that worldwide annual hotspot connects are anticipated to grow to over 11 billion by 2014".

See "Wi-Fi Hotspot Sessions to Grow to Over 11 Billion by 2014" - here and "Worldwide Wi-Fi Hotspot Usage Soars, but is Model Sustainable?" - here.

"The hotspot market continues to experience strong growth in deployed venues and usage. As with the past several years, growth in the hotspot market is largely being driven by wireless and broadband providers embracing Wi-Fi as both a competitive differentiator and enhancement to core services."

"The total worldwide hotspot market size will swell to 319,200 venues by year-end .. Worldwide annual hotspot connects, or sessions, will reach over 2 billion by the end of 2010 with annual hotspot connects anticipated to grow to over 11 billion by 2014"

Amy Cravens, Market Analyst, In-Stat: “In the past, usage growth has largely been tied to venue growth, i.e. the more venues the more usage, and the rate of usage per venue was fairly constant. Going forward, however, usage growth will be driven by increases in connects per day at each venue. This is a result, at least in part, to a broadening base of Wi-Fi-enabled devices”

Related posts: 

• BT's Mobile-like service: Free, Unlimited Wi-Fi to its Broadband Customers - here
• AT&T: Times Square needs a Wifi Boost to cope with 3G Traffic - here
• Amtrak Blocks Video Streaming and Large Downloads, Filters Sites - here

[In-Stat]: "Broadband caps can slow the widespread migration to LTE"

  
A new In-Stat report covers the expected mobile operators spending on backhaul infrastructure. Among other things, it concludes that "Broadband caps are one of many factors that can slow the widespread migration to LTE".

See "Big and Getting Bigger: Wireless Backhaul Expenditures to Grow 41% by 2014" - here and here

Additional findings:

• 
  
  Wireless last mile backhaul capacity in Western Europe will more than triple between 2010 and 2014, to nearly 60,000 Gbps.
  
• By 2014, Ethernet will be the dominant carrier technology with 85% usage in base stations. 

“We’re seeing an emerging industry consensus that the optimal solution involves running fiber optic cable straight to each base station, with the Ethernet protocol as the backhaul,” says Chris Kissel, Industry Analyst for In-Stat.  “While this solution is prevalent in areas where fiber is available, the ability to install new fiber is cost-prohibitive in many locations and physically impossible in others.  The best solution for each operator depends upon a unique combination of factors, thus expanding the universe of potential solutions and suppliers.”