The 3 biggest drivers in emerging markets will be...
- the combination of greater availability of low cost smartphones
- growth in mobile broadband, and...
- a greater urgency around improving the customer experience
Whilst experiencing massive growth in subscriber numbers over the past few years, many emerging market operators have also suffered with high churn rates and the phenomenon of the multi-SIM / multi-device user who switches between networks to get the best tariffs.
Low cost smartphones will help to break this cycle, as users will start to place a greater value on the broadband connectivity and services that will run on their smartphones, not just the basic price of a voice call or text message. Innovative data pricing and service packaging will be crucial to support this uptake and create a more ‘sticky’ customer relationship.
Furthermore, operators will look to adopt a more proactive approach to managing their customer relationships and improving customer retention. This will come in various forms including measuring and enhancing the network / service experience, as well as improvements in customer care processes and self-care capabilities.
