Mobile Content Market Will Triple By Next Year: Survey

The mobile communications content market is poised to triple over the next year, according to a new survey by London-based LogicaCMG. Moreover, the firm forecasts that the worldwide market for mobile content will reach $9 billion (7.6 Euros) by next year.

Mobile telephone users are eager consumers of downloadable content. The survey found that the average subscriber spends about $7.50 (6.32 Euros) per month on ring tones, games and music, with more than 40 per cent of respondents expecting to increase their spending over the next year.

A good portion of that content in the future could well be mobile video. LogicaCMG reports that more than 10% of mobile phone users worldwide expect to download video content next year. Asian users are particularly excited about mobile video content, with 25% expecting to view downloaded clips on their phones, and as much as 10% saying that they will download full feature films.

According to LogicaCMG global telecoms chief operating officer Paul Gleeson, the survey indicates that mobile telecommunications carriers face great opportunities in the content market. "Mobile phone users are starting to experiment with their phones' capabilities but, drawing a parallel with the popular SMS experience, it is clear that the service needs to be simple, safe and intuitive from initial browsing through to payment and download," Gleeson said in a statement. "To secure a share in this booming industry, mobile operators need to look at the bigger picture, building strong relationships with customers and content partners alike to deliver high-quality services that meet the markets' needs."

Indeed, customer perceptions of the cost and difficulty of downloading content could be a barrier to market growth. The survey showed that many users perceive the cost of content downloads as prohibitive and, in any case, 22% are unsure of whether their mobile handsets are enabled to accept downloaded content at all. Half of the respondent who commented on their concerns, expressed anxiety over potential security problems.