Mobile data revenues in BRIC economies to grow to $48bn by 2013 - report

According to a new report from Juniper Research, increasing adoption of messaging and content services, aided by increased availability of 2G and 3G-based mobile networks, is expected to push operator-billed data revenues in the mobile markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China (collectively referred to as the BRIC economies) from $26.2 bn in 2008 to more than $48.3 bn by 2013.

The research mentions broader expectations that these four markets will be among the six largest economies in the world by 2050, and be matched in size only by the US and Mexico.

The report says that as fixed-line telephony and broadband availability via traditional forms of access remain low in comparison with other important economies, these countries are expected to turn to the mobile phone for much of their future communications, banking, entertainment, commerce and lifestyle needs. In countries such as India, low-cost multi-functional mobile handsets will become an essential part of everyday life for people otherwise beyond the geographic and economic reach of basic fixed-line infrastructure. This will help continue to drive economic growth.

For operators, the key change in the next five years are expected to be the launch of commercial 3G services (currently available only on a regional basis in Russia and Brazil) as well as migrating low-cost prepaid users to higher-value postpaid offerings wherever they can.

The report provides coverage and forecasts for the four individual BRIC markets (Brazil, Russia, India and China) as well as for the grouping as a whole.