There have been several reports out lately forecasting that we can expect to see about 130 million people making mobile video calls in just four years. One factor that makes this a possibility is the current push to deploy 4G LTE networks. A byproduct of LTE networks covering so much ground in so many regions is the technological advancements in Voice over IP (VoIP) and Voice over LTE (VoLTE).
The increase in LTE coverage has led to faster video streaming, which has had the effect of being able to produce much higher quality video on mobile devices. This, in turn is leading to a substantial growth in the over-the-top (OTT) space. This is why a new report from Juniper Research entitled “Future Voice Strategies: mVoIP, Carrier OTT and Mobile Video Calling 2014-2018,” forecasts that there will be over 130 million users in mobile video calling services by 2018.
Some of the findings of the report include:
- With the arrival of 4G, most MNOs will adopt VoLTE, increasing their network efficiency, though direct revenues will be limited
- Specialists such as Kineto and Amdocs have found a niche in creating OTT monetization strategies for multinational operators
- MNOs and rival OTT carriers are collaborating on creating advanced "carrier OTT" voice services, potentially representing the most important change in the voice market since the advent of VoIP itself
OTT refers to the delivery of video, audio and other media over the Internet without a multiple system operator being involved in the control or distribution of the content. The problem is that services such as Skype are free. So we are looking at a proliferation of devices and technology that offer the ability for better quality mobile video calling, but what revenue can be generated from this?
According to the author of the report, Anthony Cox, "The role of mobile video calling is becoming clearer. With a number of OTT players having gained a critical mass of users through the provision of free video services, those players are now introducing an array of premium products or creating revenue-share partnerships to create a viable revenue stream."
Something else that this report found was that new standards such as WebRTC (Real-Time Communication) will improve the integration of mobile VoIP functionality into websites and mobile apps. Improvements in technology have a tendency of leading the way for developments of new or improved services.
As the technology develops further and 4G LTE networks cover greater areas, will this have the benefit of producing a revenue stream? I believe that because developers have been steadily increasing services to run parallel to their video calling features, OTT service providers are hoping that the answer is yes.
Edited by
Cassandra Tucker
