Data from Wireless World Forum?s ?Thailand Mobile Market? statistical handbook shows that despite increasing subscriber numbers, falling ARPU will hit mobile revenues as operators reduce prices in order to gain a bigger share of the Thai mobile user base.
Although penetration will climb to just under 70% by 2007, ARPU will fall from a current $10.60 pcm to $7.3 pcm, contributing to a decline in overall market revenues of almost 10%. Although voice ARPU is in decline, data ARPU will account for an increasing proportion of overall ARPU as mobile messaging grows into a half-billion dollar market by 2007.
In 2005, three out of four Thai operators saw their top line hit by falling ARPU. AIS and Hutch also experienced negative subscriber growth in the more lucrative post-paid market. Prepay continues to be the more popular choice with Thai consumers, outnumbering postpaid accounts by a ratio of almost 6:1.
The future challenge for Thai operators will be to implement strategies to reverse the downward trend in ARPU whilst preserving their market share in the face of stiff competition.
Data Contained in the Report on:
Data from Wireless World Forum?s ?Thailand Mobile Market? statistical handbook shows that despite increasing subscriber numbers, falling ARPU will hit mobile revenues as operators reduce prices in order to gain a bigger share of the Thai mobile user base.
