WASHINGTON-The number of mobile data subscribers can be expected to double by 2000 as more equipment and data networks become available, according to a new study by Economic & Management Consultants International Inc.
Industry will resolve existing problems that got mobile data off to a slow start, said EMCI mobile data analyst Steve Virostek. In 1990, there were 200,000 subscribers. Today there are about 1.1 million subscribers; that number could rise to 5.2 million by 2000, generating $1.5 billion annually for the industry.
Mobile data users represent less than 4 percent of all mobile communication users, although the potential market exceeds 13 million workers nationwide, EMCI said.
Two-way paging operators can be expected to increase their presence in the mobile data market beginning in 1996. They could capture 21 percent of all data subscribers by 2000, EMCI said.
Cellular carriers have experienced moderate success in attracting circuit-switched users. Cellular Digital Packet Data coverage and equipment options will remain limited over the short-term horizon, but once that situation changes-possibly by 1998-the number of cellular data subscribers could rise from 700,000 to 1.4 million by 2000, generating $430 million annually.
Mobile satellite operators will increase competition in the mobile data market over the next five years with data-only and voice and data services, EMCI said.
