'Carrier Digital Communications: Agility in Innovative Use Cases will Maximize Service Provider Opportunities' report by Publisher describes the state of the carrier digital communications market, analyzes the market drivers and details a number of industry and service provider initiatives that highlight how technologies from VoLTE to Wi-Fi Calling and WebRTC is moving towards commercialization. 

Publisher predicts a 25% decline in global average monthly SMS usage between 2015-2020. Average monthly voice MoU is predicted to stay steady over the same period, however, with the heaviest impact in Western Europe and North America.

Key Findings

-Telcos are focusing on Rich Communications Services (RCS) opportunity, which is charged as a premium VAS or as part of a standard mobile communications package, in order to combat the mounting mobile communications competitive pressure from OTT players. Carriers in the US, APAC and Europe are looking to align VoLTE capabilities with RCS for more advanced IP communication services.

-Wi-Fi calling has been launched by a large number of different industry participants including mobile incumbents, cable and fixed-players, with a wide variation in use case.  The operators are positioning Wi-Fi calling as a cheaper alternative for cellular calling to avoid high roaming costs and markets as coverage enhancement value-add, especially for indoor calling.

-Companies such as Telenor, ATandT and Telefonica are experimenting with Web browser-based, real-time communications for voice and video communications. Provisioning easy-to-access developer tools and WebRTC APIs for in-browser communications has the potential to revolutionize the carrier wholesale business on a whole new digital level.