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Deloitte’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications UK Predictions for 2015

09 March 2015

A wider offering in digital content and services and the enhanced security offered by contactless mobile payments makes consumers more receptive of new technologies. For the premium rate services industry, the greater consumer acceptance also means potential growth opportunity for micropayments and operator billing.

12Consumer attitudes towards digital content and services are changing with a notable upsurge in smartphones upgrade and contactless mobile payments being forecasted by Deloitte in their Technology, Media and Telecommunications UK Predictions for 2015.

Over 90% of smartphones sold in the UK will be upgrades of existing smartphone users. 24% of UK adults plan to upgrade their smartphone in 2015 compared to 18% upgrading their laptops and 14% their tablets.

2015 is also the year for take-off of contactless mobile payments. Although not mainstream as yet, near-field communication (NFC) phone payments have significantly increased from 2014. Deloitte attributes this to key stakeholders having built capacity to make NFC payments a viable option: financial institutions, merchants, consumers , technology vendors and carriers. Greater security, higher value transactions and quicker payment procedures are the advantages offered by NFC payments expected to increase even more over time.

A wider offering in digital content and services and the enhanced security offered by contactless mobile payments makes consumers more receptive of new technologies. For the premium rate services industry, the greater consumer acceptance also means potential growth opportunity for micropayments and operator billing.

A Deloitte report commissioned by PhonepayPlus in November last year shows that mobile operator billing in digital goods market could grow beyond £500 million by 2019, gaining a 4% UK market share of micropayments for digital goods and services. To find out more about the potential opportunities and challenges of carrier billing and what the industry needs to do to exploit this opportunity, download the full report: The Future for Phone-Paid Digital Goods and Services.