The wireless industry, or rather telecommunications in general, has a long-held belief that the developed markets lead the world in terms of technology rollout and innovation. The reasoning is simple: since new technology usually comes with a premium price tag, it is most likely that only those markets that can ‘afford’ new tech will implement it.
In due course, when economies of scale are achieved, it is also assumed that developing or emerging markets will happily accept the older and cheaper technology and make do with it. So the cycle goes; or does it?
That may well have been the case in years gone by but it is now the developing markets that are taking the lead, particularly with regard to innovative pricing and charging models, the core chunks of revenue management so critical for success. Before we examine the evidence supporting this, let me take a few moments to debunk some other myths about ‘developing’ markets. Read more….