Juniper Research forecasts Indian sub continent mobile data revenues to hit $8.3 billion by 2013, driven by music, games and browsing.

The burgeoning market for rich media
content and services will push operator billed data revenues in the
Indian Sub Continent from $3.0 billion in 2008 to more than $8.3
billion by 2013, according to a new report from Juniper Research.




The report found that while ring tones
are currently the most lucrative service across the region, games,
mobile TV and full track downloads would all constitute substantial
revenue streams by the end of the forecast period, with mobile
browsing revenues continuing to climb steadily.




According to report author Dr Windsor
Holden, "With the limited availability and relatively high cost
of fixed broadband Internet across the sub continent, the mobile
handset has become the de facto means of accessing Internet services.
Regional operators were among the first to realise that low data
pricing was central to encouraging service adoption, and it has paid
dividends for them."




The report also observed that growth
would be further bolstered as 3G networks were deployed, although
noting that in India, 3G services were now unlikely to be launched
until 2009.









Other findings from the Juniper report
include:




The Indian Sub Continent mobile
user base is expected to rise from 431million in 2008 to nearly 740
million in 2013


Blended ARPU levels are expected
to decline steadily across the region, although the sharp fall in
voice ARPU will be partially offset by the steady increase from data
services


India will provide the largest
share of cumulative regional revenues over the forecast period,
followed by Pakistan