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Mobile internet in Russia increased to 1 billion dollars and 31.2 mln users in 2008

Posted April 13th, 2009 by Anton Veremyanin
in
Source: Mobile Content Russia.

ComNews Research has published a report about Russian mobile internet market in 2008 and has made its forecasts for 2009. In 2008, mobile internet (data services) was one of the most fast-growing value-added services segment for Russian mobile network operators. This growth was stimulated by further deployment of 3G networks, increase in the number of mobile internet users and consumed data. After economic conditions began crumbling, mobile web has become the most important countermeasure to ARPU decrease.

The main results of Russian mobile internet market in 2008 are as follows:

  • Revenue grew by 87% and reached 25.4 billion rubles (1.02$ bln. - yearly average exchange rate is 24,88 rubles per 1$)
  • Number of users increased by 45% to 31.2 million subscribers
  • Traffic consumption volume grew by 2.2 times up to 5.8 PByte
  • Internet ARPU (active users) increased by 24% and reached 80 rubles
  • MbOU (active users) grew by 48% to 20 MB

    In spite of the fact that average cost of 1 Mb data decreased by 16 per cent, monthly average revenue per active internet user (internet active ARPU) in 2008 grew by 24% since the same period in 2007 and reached 80 rubles (approx.$3,2 ). Total internet traffic volume increased 2.2 times up to 5.8 Petabyte (that's about 6,000 Terabyte) in 2008.

    The structure of web traffic has changed significantly during the year. In 2007, more than 82% of data was generated via GPRS/EDGE networks, while in 2008 share of these technologies decreased by 73%. Most of 3G data is generated now via EV-DO.

    MegaFon is the leading company in mobile internet market. Its share in 2008 was about 29% of all the market revenue. MegaFon is followed closely by MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, which had about 28% market share. SkyLink, Russian CDMA-operator, with 1 per cent share of the whole cellular market got about 14% of all the mobile web services revenue.

    ComNews Research forecasts that by the end of 2009 revenue of Russian carriers in the segment will increase by 67% and exceed 42 billion rubles (approx. $1,27 bln. - current exchange rate 33 rubles per 1$). As forecast, in 2009 web traffic volume in Russian mobile networks will double again, its structure shifting more towards 3G. By the end of 2009 GPRS/EDGE will provide less than a half of all the data transferred in Russian mobile networks.

    В© Oxana Vassilyeva

    NB: Mobile internet revenues in Russia reached $657 mln. in 2008; user base grew to 32.5 mln.

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