Mobile Msg ARPU Will Grow Even with Bad Econonmy, Says ABI

By Reporter Wireless and Mobile News on November 10, 2008 11:15 AM

Even with the economic downturn, mobile messaging growth will continue. ABI Research says mobile messaging services revenues will grow from $151 billion in 2008 to greater than $212 billion globally by 2013.

Mobile messaging ARPUs are 85%+ of all handset data services revenues regardless of region and will remain so for many years. One of the main reasons for messaging growth is that more and more customers see mobile messaging services as a more efficient way to communicate than voice services.

ABI's Dan Shey says, " The utility of mobile services will keep them a necessity in tough economic times, particularly since displaced workers need to be mobile to find work."

Comment from Wireless and Mobile News:

We noticed that text messaging rates have gone up a lot for per text fees. This data shines some light on the reasons for the increase the carriers know people can cut down their voice use and use alternatives such as landlines. However, text messaging comes in very handy while you trying to something else, such as sit in a boring meeting or be at a low-paying job.

In its Mobile Messaging Services study, ABI Research examines the messaging market across five common platforms: SMS, MMS, voicemail, IM, and e-mail/unified messaging. The research details not only the drivers from the consumer and business perspectives, but also the supply-side drivers including those from device vendors, operators and middleware providers.