Wi-fi and M2M Roaming a Bigger Opportunity Than Regulation, say Operators

Over 79 per cent of network operators and CSPs (Communication Service Providers) believe that wi-fi roaming offers bigger opportunities for revenues than increasing usage of roaming data following the approaching EU regulation, according to a survey from MACH. And 77 per cent of respondents believe that they will see higher probability in the area of M2M roaming.

The study examined 100 global mobile network operators and CSPs, and found that 32 per cent of the respondents believe the revenues from M2M will increase over a period of two years.

When asked about their intentions to make these services available to customers, 45 per cent of operators cited plans to offer wi-fi roaming within the next two years, with 19 per cent intending to roll it out within the next six months. Similarly, 22 per cent of operators questioned are already offering M2M-specific roaming agreements, with 42 per cent of operators expecting to put these in place within the next two years.

“The results of this survey demonstrate that many operators believe wi-fi to be a key access technology and are already looking at how to successfully market new wi-fi offerings to capitalise on previously untapped revenue streams,” says Rasmus Holst, senior vice president of MACH. “It is also encouraging to see the recognition of growth potential in M2M roaming. As one of the real mega-trends in the mobile industry, M2M roaming is becoming an increasingly attractive opportunity for the international telecoms sector.”

On the topic of EU regulations designed to increase wider opportunities for roaming services,  57 per cent of respondents felt it was not likely to create significant changes in usage patterns. In fact, only 28 per cent of respondents believe that EU regulations would lead to increased operator revenues.