Mobile content shows value at last

Non-voice content is at last showing signs of growth, according to recent reports, after decades of being talked up by mobile operators.

Research firm Analysys has published a worldwide top 10 list of non-voice services for mobile operators based on market potential, implementation and 'ease of reproduction'. 

The last criteria refers to how easy it would be for rival operators to launch a similar service for their subscribers.

Top of the pops is Vodafone's Fastweb DSL service offered in Italy. But the service with the highest monthly average revenue per user ($25) is 3's mobile UK TV and video streaming service. 3's Italian mobile TV service comes in sixth. 

"There is no excuse for mobile operators failing to increase non-voice revenue," said report co-author Dr Alastair Brydon. "We have identified 10 examples of services that could be broadly replicated by other operators to achieve success."

An Orange-sponsored report by telecoms research house Informa estimated the mobile content market at $661m in the UK in 2006.

Its survey of 2,000 UK users concluded that the trick to success is turning sporadic users into regular consumers. Top of consumers' wish list are mobile banking and location-based services. 

Analysys Top 10 Non-Voice Services:

1. Vodafone Casa Fastweb DSL service (Italy)
2. O2 SMS service (UK)
3. 3 3G mobile TV & video streaming service (UK)
4. T-Mobile BlackBerry email & instant messaging service (US)
5. Sprint Nextel’ CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A mobile broadband (US)
6. 3 DVB-H mobile TV broadcasting service (Italy)
7. KDDI EZ Chaku-uta music download service (Japan)
8. SK Telecom Cyworld Mobile community portal (South Korea)
9. NTT DoCoMo DCMX mobile credit service (Japan)
10. Vodafone MiniCall ‘voice SMS’ service (Egypt)