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WCIS Insight: Global Mobile Prepaid Markets
Published: December 2008
Focusing on the world’s regions, this Insight looks at the state of the prepaid market around the globe. Each chapter is divided into sub-sections looking at market status, key performance indicators, drivers and challenges, and the regulatory and competitive trends of each region.
Key issues addressed:
- What are the main differences between the prepaid market in developed and emerging markets?
- Will the availability of new WCDMA services boost the global prepaid market?
- What impact will MVNOs have on the prepaid market, especially in developed markets?
- Are operators actively pursuing a migration strategy (from prepaid to contract)?
- Will we see increased competition in the global prepaid market?
- Could prepaid take advantage of new mobile network infrastructure trends?
- Is prepaid still the method of choice for customers entering the telecommunications market?
Key Highlights:
- At the end of 1H08, there were 2.52 billion prepaid subscriptions globally with 43% of these in Asia Pacific representing 28% year-on-year growth, compared to 13% growth for contract subscriptions during the same period.
- Africa has the highest penetration of prepaid subscriptions (95%), whilst conversely the region with the lowest penetration of prepaid subscriptions is North America with just 12%.
- Prepaid services generated US$242 billion in revenues for mobile network operators with Asia Pacific the largest region contributing US$68.4 billion ahead of Western Europe on US$55.7 billion. The smallest region was North America with just below US$10 billion of prepaid revenues in 2007.
- Informa forecasts a total of 3.93 billion mobile prepaid subscriptions at the end of 2013 with the proportion of prepaid subscriptions set to increase to approximately 74% in 2013 from 70.5% in 2008. The fastest growing prepaid region will be Asia Pacific and the slowest is likely to be Western Europe.
- Prepaid services will generate US$382.2 billion in annual revenues globally by 2013, up from US$288 billion in 2008 with Asia Pacific set to account for more than one third of global prepaid revenues by 2013.
Market Data covered:
- Global mobile prepaid subscriptions by region, June 2008
- Global mobile prepaid penetration by region, June 2008
- Global mobile prepaid revenue by region, 2007
- Global share of prepaid subscriptions by region, 2013
- Global share of prepaid revenues by region, 2013
- Western Europe, total quarterly mobile prepaid customers by country, 1Q07-2Q08
- Western Europe, annual mobile prepaid growth by country, 1Q07 vs1Q8 and 2Q07 vs 2Q08
- Western Europe, proportion of prepaid and total subscriptions, 1Q07-2Q08
- Eastern Europe, total quarterly mobile prepaid customers by country, 1Q07-2Q08
- Eastern Europe, annual mobile prepaid growth by country, 1Q07 vs 1Q08 and 2Q07 vs 2Q8
- Eastern Europe, proportion of prepaid and total subscriptions, 1Q07-2Q08
- North America, total quarterly mobile prepaid customers by country, 1Q07-2Q8
- North America, annual mobile prepaid growth by country, 1Q7 vs 1Q08 and 2Q07 vs 2Q08
- Latin America, total quarterly mobile prepaid customers by country, 1Q07-2Q08
- Latin America, annual mobile prepaid growth by country, 1Q07 vs 1Q08 and 2Q07 vs 2Q08
- Latin America, proportion of prepaid and total subscriptions, 1Q07-2Q08
- Africa, total quarterly mobile prepaid customers by country, 1Q07-2Q08
- Africa, annual mobile prepaid growth by country, 1Q07 vs 1Q08 and 2Q07 vs 2Q08
- Africa, proportion of prepaid and total subscriptions, 1Q07-2Q08
- Africa, annual mobile prepaid growth by country, 1Q07 vs 1Q08 and 2Q07 vs 2Q08
- Africa, proportion of prepaid and total subscriptions, 1Q07-2Q08
- Middle East, total quarterly mobile prepaid customers by country, 1Q07-2Q08
- Middle East, annual mobile prepaid growth by country, 1Q07 vs 1Q8 and 2Q07 vs 2Q08
- Middle East, proportion of prepaid and total subscriptions, 1Q07-2Q08
- Asia Pacific, total quarterly mobile prepaid customers by country, 1Q07-2Q08
- Asia Pacific, annual mobile prepaid growth by country, 1Q07 vs 1Q08 and 2Q07 vs 2Q08
- Asia Pacific, proportion of prepaid and total subscriptions, 1Q07-2Q08
Who should read this report:
- Operators
- Vendors
- Telecoms Strategists
- Content Providers
- Financial Institutions
- Consultancies
- Governments
- Regulators
Markets Covered:
- Western Europe
- Eastern Europe
- North America
- Latin America
- Middle East
- Africa
- Asia Pacific
