Mobile broadband subscribers to more than double by 2016

By 2016 around 40% of global mobile users will subscribe to mobile broadband – compared to 15% currently – which could cause revenues to soar to nearly $100 billion, according to Infonetics Research.

Mobile broadband services are expected to drive the increase in mobile service revenues to $976 billion, while SMS and voice revenues remain fairly constant, despite the threat from over-the-top services.

A rise of 6% is expected for this year globally in mobile voice, broadband and messaging services, but primarily concentrated in Asia Pacific and Latin America – Europe, the Middle East and Africa are set to dip slightly.

Principal analyst for mobile infrastructure and carrier economics at Infonetics Research, Stéphane Téral said: “The mobile world is undeniably shifting from voice to data, as mobile operators migrate as many subscribers as they can to data service plans and smartphones.

“Already in North America and Asia Pacific mobile operators derive over 40% of their mobile revenue from mobile broadband and messaging.

“However, while mobile broadband is no doubt the fastest growing revenue stream for operators, mobile messaging and voice aren’t dead just yet – not by a long shot.”