Allot MobileTrends Report Records the Rise of Application-Centric Mobile Operators

WOBURN, Mass. - Aug. 24, 2014 - PRLog -- July 15, 2014 - Hod Hasharon, Israel – Allot Communications Ltd. , a leading supplier of service optimization and revenue generation solutions for fixed and mobile broadband operators and cloud providers worldwide, today announced the release of the Allot MobileTrends Charging Report H1 2014, which surveyed the data plans and charging trends of 175 mobile operators worldwide, covering more than 2.4 billion mobile subscribers globally.

Highlights from the global study include the following findings:

•    85% of operators are leveraging apps to attract customers and increase ARPU
Operators who offer application-centric plans show higher ARPU and lower churn. This trend is even more prevalent in developing countries.

•    More mobile operators are choosing to collaborate with OTT app and content providers 37% of operators had at least one OTT partnership; up from 26% in 2012

•    Facebook is mobile operators’ top choice for zero-rated apps
45% of operators offer at least one zero-rated app and 65% of those zero-rate Facebook

•    Unlimited data plans are in decline. Shared data plans are on the rise
From 2012 to 2014, operators offering unlimited data plans have diminished from 35% to 15% while operators offering shared data plans with shared data caps increased from 29% to 42%

“The findings of the latest Allot MobileTrends Charging Report show that operators are connecting more and more to the digital lifestyle of their customers as they move from selling gigabytes to selling services and applications-centric benefits,” said Allot Communications AVP Marketing, Yaniv Sulkes. “As more mobile operators become application-centric, it is a win for all: operators are attracting consumers, content providers benefit from higher traffic and consumers enjoy better quality of experience."

Download the Allot MobileTrends Charging Report H1 2014 here (http://www.allot.com/mobiletrends_charging_report_2014.ht...).

Application-centric data plans become global standard offering
Driven by the evolving mobile ecosystem, the majority of operators globally are transforming into digital lifestyle providers by offering value-based data plans that expand options beyond standard calling and data packages with premium opt-in offerings. Sponsored and toll-free data, zero-rated apps, media streaming services and cloud storage services are just a few examples of areas where operators and content providers are coming together to create value-based offerings that increase the value of the service and generate incremental revenue.

More collaborative partnerships between mobile operators and OTTs
Mobile operators and content providers have seen the value in collaborating to monetize network traffic. These partnerships are benefitting operators by attracting subscribers, OTT providers by gaining loyal mobile users and subscribers through better QoE.

Facebook is the top zero-rated OTT social media app offered globally
Zero-rating, or offering free social media access, has positive benefits on the ability of operators to attract more subscribers, keep them engaged and reduce churn.

Unlimited Data Plans To Become Extinct
Operators are replacing unlimited data plans with shared data plans for multi-devices, especially those operators with LTE networks. As the mobile ecosystem continues to evolve, and subscribers use more than one mobile device, options for joint monthly data allowances and sharing data among family members have an increased appeal for subscribers. Charges for tethered traffic have steadied at 29% since 2012, and have simply been aggregated with the subscriber’s total volume usage.

For more information visit: http://www.allot.com