According to a new study by Analysys, wireless penetration in Western Europe is expected to grow from 90 percent at the end of 2004 to 98 percent by 2006. Penetration is expected to hit 100 percent in 2007. Wireless penetration has already exceeded 100 percent in several European markets, including Italy, Sweden, and the UK. Wireless growth has stagnated in some markets, notably France and Germany, where carriers have focused on converting prepaid customers to post-paid in an effort to boost ARPU numbers. Voice ARPU in Western Europe is expected to stabilize, meaning that carriers will have to focus on growing their data revenues if they want to grow. Assuming carriers successfully market mobile data, wireless revenue is projected to grow at a rate of 9 percent between 2004 and 2007.
For more on the Western European wireless market:
- see this story from ENN