Mobile phones have undoubtedly bridged the communication gap, but they come with certain challenges. Mobile phone users constantly feel the need of choosing the right data plan to avoid paying huge taxes and getting the most benefits and value for their money. Earlier, postpaid plans were common among users around the globe. However, a significant shift has been noticed in mobile usage plans during the past few years. When observing the trends of developed countries and third-world countries, we can notice a clear difference in priorities.
Trends in Developed Countries:
As per the GRS mobile figures research conducted in 2015, a majority of developed countries in North America preferred the use of postpaid connection. 75% mobile users in North America and Northwestern Europe have postpaid connections, while the ratio is 50% in the rest of Europe. The reliability of postpaid connection attracts people of modern and developed countries.
Postpaid mobile connection provides users the flexibility of using their mobile phones as and when needed. They do not have to worry about recharging their mobile set with credit to make calls or send messages. The users usually receive phone bill on monthly basis and have to pay it before due date to continue the use of mobile connection. They also have to provide their bank account details and they can authorize mobile company to deduct due payment directly from their account.
Trends in Developing Countries:
As compared to the first world, the users of developing countries in Africa and Asia have different priorities. Compared to postpaid connection, they find pre-paid connections more suitable for their needs. Not every individual has a bank account, due to which they may not get a post-paid connection. Moreover, prepaid connections SIMs are easily available and allow users to stay within the budget.
A majority of prepaid connections come equipped with attractive packages. Users can subscribe to them for making unlimited calls within a limited amount. This is one of the major reasons why the use of prepaid connections is rapidly increasing. Postpaid connections usually have fixed rates and companies rarely offer any attractive packages.
Future Trends:
Many people find the process of charging mobile phones with cards as troublesome. However, it allows you to ensure that the expenses do not exceed the budget. After 2015, a significant change has been noticed among the mobile users of developed countries. A majority of users have turned back to prepaid connection.
The future of pre-paid mobile connection seems bright. The use of prepaid connection is quite dominant in Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Asia and the USA. Some of the major wireless service providers in the US have reported a sudden shift to prepaid tariff within past two years.
With continuous advancement in technology, it is extremely important that it should be easily accessible. The focus should be on both hardware as well as software components to ensure that most of the world’s population can avail the benefits. The trends have been constantly changing due to affordability factor. The companies must consider the requirements of users to introduce suitable tariffs.
Veeramachineni Lalitha
I am Finance Content Writer. I write Personal Finance, banking, investment, and insurance related content for top clients including Kotak Mahindra Bank, Edelweiss, ICICI BANK and IDFC FIRST Bank. My experience details : Linkedin