Global demand for mobile data services soars

Global mobile data revenues from services other than SMS exceeded $10bn in the first quarter of 2007, research revealed today.

The World Cellular Data Metrics report from analyst firm Informa reported that nearly one third of mobile data revenues now come from non-SMS services, suggesting that operators' investments in advanced technologies are finally reaping rewards.

However, the report goes on to state that this interest in other data services does not indicate the end of the road for SMS.

Worldwide SMS traffic was up year-on-year by around 50 per cent to more than 620 billion messages in the first quarter of 2007.

SMS revenues were up 23 per cent over the same period, helping total data revenues to reach $34.3bn in the quarter, the highest ever.

The higher increase in SMS traffic compared to revenue reflects lower SMS tariffs and the greater availability of bundled packages, according to the report.

The proportion of data revenues coming from non-SMS services at the 70 operators tracked ranged from just one per cent (Vodafone Egypt) to over 70 per cent (KTF Korea).