Mobile data usage continues to grow exponentially as 3G technology spreads globally. From 2009 to 2015 data usage in Western Europe and North America is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42% and 55% respectively. In 2010, the average North American user is expected to consume 159 megabytes of data – up from 100 megabytes in 2009.

“Mobile voice has already been surpassed by mobile data traffic on some networks, and this trend will only accelerate,” says ABI Research wireless analyst Bhavya Khanna. “This boom in usage is driven by the rapid adoption of smartphones in these markets.”

But the explosion in data traffic does not mean a corresponding rise in data revenues for operators, as the popularity of unlimited or fixed price plans caps revenue even as usage grows. Mobile data revenues are expected to grow at a CAGR of about 18% in North America, in sharp contrast to the increase in usage. This presents a challenge for operators as they look to manage the demands on their networks without a corresponding increase in income.

The growth in data traffic comes at the cost of voice: minutes of use are on the decline in developed markets in North America and Western Europe. However, in emerging markets there is still room for voice usage growth. Increasing competition in Africa has reduced tariffs, resulting in minutes of use per user growing by 9% between 2009 and 2010. There is still much room for growth on the continent, as average usage per subscriber continues to be half of that of the Asia-Pacific region.

ABI Research has just released a quarterly review of global and regional wireless usage metrics, which can be found in “Mobile Subscriber ARPU, Voice, Messaging, and Data Traffic Forecasts” and “Mobile Carrier and Revenue Market Data.” These Market Data products forecast global, regional and country-level analysis into end-user level benchmarks quantifying the purchasing and usage habits of mobile cellular customers. They track average revenue per user (ARPU), usage, and traffic for carriers in more than 27 markets on a quarterly basis.  

They are part of “The Mobile Consumer Research Service”, which also includes Research Reports, Research Briefs, other Market Data products, ABI Insights, and analyst inquiry support.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advise thousands of decision makers through 28 research and advisory services. Est.1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.