Was last year the most significant for the UK mobile operator billing industry?
It’s good to get sight of the latest annual market review by phone-paid services regulator PSA. A clear takeaway is that consumers enjoy using mobile operator billing, as revenues have surged by 31% in the last year, which shows continued growth from previous years.
While the report shows a mixed story, with certain market segments and products in decline, others are clearly stable and growing.
Anyone involved in the mobile operator and telecoms payments industry would be very aware of the regulatory changes that have, perhaps, hampered certain investments and growth opportunities over the last year. These include PSA special conditions, PSD2 consultation and mobile operator challenges such as consumer capping which have all contributed to a level of uncertainty.
The future’s bright…
In spite of this uncertainty, the industry is vibrant and flourishing which is reflected in the 31% revenue growth for the last year.
We’re looking forward to focussing energies in those services and sectors which will drive sustainable business and growth into 2018 and the future.
The PSA has predicted that the value of charitable donations by SMS will grow by almost £10m in 2017/18 and says it expects non-broadcast charities to adopt the £20 donation price point during the next financial year. This forecast certainly reflects the results and innovations we’ve been able to deliver: Fonix provided the UK’s very first campaign with a £20 mobile text donation solution with Children in Need 2016.
Furthermore, with PSD2 opening the door to ticketing for the mobile operator payments industry, we believe there are huge opportunities in driving this forward for industries where low cost ticketing is part of the value chain, such as car parking, transportation and recreation.
As a business, we’re making great progress in markets that have historically never considered mobile operator billing, signing deals in areas such as ticketing. We’re always striving to drive innovation into sectors, providing the best consumer experience possible — one of the main reasons we’re seeing the charity, media and broadcast markets thrive.
To read the PSA report visit here.