Vertical markets seen as key revenue stream for mobile broadband operators
Saturday, September 27th, 2008 – 9:31 amVertical applications for 3G and mobile broadband networks are ready to take off, and they represent a huge growth opportunity for operators facing flat ARPUs from individual retail subscribers, says a new report from Senza Fili Consulting. Enterprises who have historically shunned mobile data applications are warming up to specialized, vertical applications including mobile-to-mobile (M2M), in-vehicle telematics and mobile workforce support. Operators who provide 3G cellular, WiMAX and LTE networks could realize the benefits of this interest.
The report estimates that there will be over 154 million connections supporting vertical applications within 3G, WiMAX, and LTE networks by 2014. This equates to more than US$43 billion in potential service revenues. “Vertical services can be very profitable for operators,” says Senza Fili’s Monica Paolini. “They bring in a steady revenue stream generated by a small number of contracts, each with a high number of connections.” Vertical applications give wireless broadband operators the opportunity to address what is today an underserved market that will not compete with their existing services to individual retail subscribers. The Asia Pacific region is seen as the area for greatest growth, followed by Western Europe and North America.
Read my complete article about vertical applications for WiMAX technologies at WiMax.com
