Informa Telecoms & Media predicts that Asia-Pacific's roaming base will increase to 170m roamers up from 36m in 2004 accounting for 20% of the world's outbound roamers by 2010. Outbound roamers from Asia-Pacific only accounted for 5% of the region's subscriber base in 2004, and will increase to 13% by 2010.

Growth in global roaming will be driven by increases in prepaid roaming, and more contract users utilising roaming while travelling abroad. Additionally in Asia-Pacific, there are increased opportunities for new roamers with inter-technology offerings for roamers in Japan and Korea.

"Europe is currently the cornerstone of global roaming traffic and revenues accounting for 65% of traffic. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to increase its global share of the roaming market with more outbound travel, especially from China, and increased inbound travel across the region for tourism and business" says Michиle Scanlon, telecoms consultant and author of Global Mobile Roaming, a new strategic report published by Informa Telecoms & Media speaking at CommunicAsia in Singapore.

While the overall growth of mobile subscribers is focused on emerging markets, growth in roaming usage will also come from the mature developed markets of Asia-Pacific lead by regional and global alliance initiatives, such as the SingTel-led Bridge Mobile Alliance which this week announced its first commercial offering of a common prepaid roaming topup service and common short codes to be implemented across its member networks. The alliance also announced the addition of a new member, CSL of Hong Kong, a previous member of the Asia Mobility Initiative alliance. In November 2004, Maxis of Malaysia also defected the AMI alliance to join the Bridge Mobile Alliance, so a further defection ensures an uncertain future for AMI in Asia.

The alliances are focused regionally, but dual strategies exist to capture both the inbound and outbound markets. One such example is MobileOne of Singapore, a member of AMI and also a Vodafone global partner network. Its dual-alliance strategy focuses on Asia with the AMI and globally with Vodafone. In a heavy inbound roaming market, MobileOne's strategy is to be the preferred inbound roaming partner for the largest global network of operators, while offering its own subscribers advantages while roaming within Asia with its new Asia Connect tariff.

GLOBAL MOBILE ROAMING

This new strategic report examines the changing dynamics of today's global mobile roaming market with the emergence of global and regional alliances looking to streamline their roaming services. This strategic research report, from Informa Telecoms & Media provides you with over 200 pages of unique and highly valuable market intelligence, including detailed profiles of roaming alliances, a thorough analysis of the key issues in mobile roaming, case studies and unique 5-year forecasts to 2010, as well as commentary on the future of roaming in a world of alliances. Vital intelligence on which to base you roaming strategy.

Publication: June 2005
Authors: Michиle Scanlon

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