Revenue from mobile entertainment services could soar over the next five years thanks to high-speed mobile phones and a range of new offerings, according to market researcher Informa Telecoms & Media.
Informa expects the market for mobile entertainment services, including games, gambling and adult content, to grow to US$38.12 billion in 2011 from $18.84 billion in 2006.
Mobile music will continue to be the major revenue generator although its overall share of the market will fall from 40 percent in 2006 to 36 percent in 2011 as new forms of entertainment, such as mobile TV and video services, gain consumer interest.
User-generated content, a relatively new development that gained momentum in 2006, will continue to grow as new applications begin to extend communities to users on the move. Informa expects revenue from user-generated services to be $13.17 billion by 2011.
The arrival of mobile phone technologies that offer high transmission speeds, particularly HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), has helped create a Web surfing and video streaming experience similar to what users are accustomed to on their PCs, according to Informa.