A new study from Juniper Research expects widespread adoption of VoLTE among MNOs, with operator billed VoLTE revenues predicted to approach $100 billion by 2020, representing 12% of the global operator billed service revenue including voice and data services. HD voice adoption has been steadily rising since 2009, with over 130 operators worldwide offering Mobile HD Voice.
The growth in VoLTE along with Wi-Fi Calling service which a number of Operators have launched this year is expected to reverse the losses suffered by Operators in their voice business due to competition from Over-the-Top(OTT) applications.
At the same time, Operators have begin deploying their own white label OTT services, such as the Fring Alliance, to address the OTT challenge, said Juniper Research. However, the study cautioned that such initiatives historically had mixed results, with both Telefonica’s TuMe and O2’s TuGo service having been discontinued.
On the other hand, the study expects OTT voice providers to see their service revenues reach over US$10 billion by 2020, representing a fivefold increase over the next 5 years. The study said that OTT application providers such as Skype and WhatsApp would experience a significant rise in traffic and revenue potential as 4G network rollouts accelerate, increasing their capability to offer high-quality VoIP (Voice over IP) calls.
