According to a new slate of predictions from Informa Telecoms & Media, telecoms operator consolidation will be a recurring theme throughout 2014.
In addition to in-market consolidation, “we expect to see regional and global telecoms operator groups entering into discussions and potential deals.”
Also expected this year are new “connected tablet” business models.
The relatively low proportion of tablets that are connected to cellular networks is a major disappointment to the mobile industry. Despite the rapid growth in volume of shipments, only a small percentage – approximately 20% – of these devices connect to the macro cellular network meaning that a huge opportunity for access revenues is being lost.
“In 2014,” today’s report reads, “we will finally see a number of new initiatives to sell more ‘cellular’ tablets. These will often involve the use of MVNO-type business models.”
The team at Informa expects to see a new hybrid wholesale model emerging. “In some cases,” the report projects, “OEMs will purchase wholesale data and bundling the cost of access into the device. In other cases, mobile operators will create ‘ready to sell’ white-label packages for OEMs.”
