A new study from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that operator revenues from international mobile roaming are expected to experience an 11% decline in 2017, as operators introduce “Roam Like at Home” packages in key markets including Europe, North America and Asia.
“Roam Like at Home”enables mobile users to use their monthly voice, data, and messaging allowance while roaming without incurring additional charges. Juniper Research forecasts that the annual revenues, worth an estimated $54 billion in 2016, will decline to $48 billion in 2017 as revenues generated from increased usage in many markets fail to offset those lost by lower roaming charges in the EU.
“This decline in global revenues is due to a 33% fall in European roaming revenues, following the EU regulation to end roaming surcharges,” research author Nitin Bhas added. “While we expect roaming tariffs outside Europe to continue to be unregulated and to be significantly higher, operator focus will need to shift to innovative bundles and tailored pricing to preserve or grow revenues from travellers and immigrant workers.”
The Juniper research found that revenues will begin to recover in 2018, following a significant increase in active roamers and data usage.
