Mobile Data Will Soon Dominate Wireless Service Revenues

Mobile data service revenue continues its impressive run for the wireless industry, according to leading wireless industry consultant Chetan Sharma.

Mobile data revenue now accounts for close to 45% of total service revenue, and Sharma predicts it may pass the 50% mark for the U.S. market sometime this year (it’s already 65% in Japan), generating a total of $90 billion in 2013. Much of the explosion in data revenue can be tied to the rapid adoption of smartphones. Sharma’s data reveals that smartphones are now in the hands of over 50% of U.S. subscribers and account for 85% of all new device sales (for 1Q13). According to Sharma, there’s still plenty of room for growth, considering that the 50% of subscribers who now own smartphones are concentrated in only 30% of U.S. households.