BRIC economies — Brazil, Russia, India and China — are set to experience tremendous growth in terms of mobile phone users – from 1.21 billion in 2008 to 1.64 billion by 2013.
According to Juniper Research, this growth in mobile services uptake will be able to defy the global economic slowdown and recession, due such factors as increased availability of broadband-enabled mobile networks, falling prices of sophisticated mobile phones and data charges.
However, there’s a catch. Report author Andrew Kitson argues that some publicly-listed operators may find it difficult in the short term to maintain investment plans for new network build-out and enhancement projects, due to the limited capital-raising opportunities at this time. “Similarly, government-owned utilities may also find finances to be in short supply. Further, debt repayment burdens may weigh heavily on all manner of operators that have achieved growth through heavy borrowing,” he added.
Other findings from the report include:
- Revenues from mobile data services will rise from $26 billion in 2008 to $48 billion by 2013, with China accounting for the majority of such revenues
- Total operator-billed voice revenues for the region will peak in 2010 at $117.1 billion and will decline thereafter
- The key change in the next five years will be the launch of commercial 3G services particularly in India and China
More information about Juniper Research’s study titled “BRIC Mobile Opportunities: Markets & Forecasts 2008-2013” can be found on their website.