Revenue from 4G mobile consumer services will grow rapidly over the next four years, and will exceed $70 billion (€48b) worldwide in 2014, according to ABI Research.
By that time, 22% of device subscription revenues will come from operator-branded premium services, with location services, video on demand and media broadcast services among the biggest revenue spinners, ABI predicted.
“Operators of 4G networks will refuse to be marginalized as ‘dumb data pipe’ service providers,” ABI practice director Philip Solis said.
“Instead, they will offer suites of ‘smart services’ – some internally developed, others via partnerships with third party suppliers – that will be provided over networks enabled with all-IP technologies, IMS infrastructure and cloud-based storage.”
These services will be optimized for mobile devices such as smartphones and netbooks, but many offerings will be delivered simultaneously, both over the 'three screens' - PCs, TVs and mobile devices - and over the internet, cable networks and wireless networks.
Operators will partner with third-party service providers for services to license and rebrand, and will work with handset and network OEMs to help tailor products to their needs, he added.
Gaming and P2P video sharing services will also be popular 4G premium services, ABI added.