Mobile Data Consumption Increases in Latin America and Middle East

Only Latin America, Middle East, and Africa will see a mobile Internet service revenue double-digit CAGR between 2013 and 2018, according to a recently released written statement from ABI Research.

     “The growth is underpinned by the strong per subscription data consumption increasing at CAGRs of 45-49 percent. In other words, data traffic doubles in less than every two years on average, thanks to the increased availability of affordable smart devices in the near future,” the statement said.

    By 2018, Latin America and the Middle East are expected to see an average user contributing more than 2.5 Gigabytes of traffic per month. In Africa, however, the low literacy rate has resulted in a low messaging volume in this region. But with the fastest mobile subscription growth and over-the-top applications being less prevalent, this will be the only region to enjoy consistent positive messaging service revenue growth throughout the entire forecast horizon.

     “A key determinant of the future consumption pattern will be the regulatory policies in the regions,” said Ying Kang Tan, a research associate at ABI Research. “For instance, the recent implementation of mobile number portability measure in Nigeria and the reduction in mobile termination rate in Honduras and Jamaica will go a long way in shaping the competitive landscape and encourage cellular usage.