Summary
In emerging markets, prepaid ratio can grow up to 99%,. The prepaid uptake is a truely sustained trend Prepaid is not always related to low value customers. It's a FREE, Better way of consuming. Getting bound to an operator for years, with frozen benefits frozen is not appealing. Monthly bill, overspending, ... Prepaid is also growing in the financial ind. The telco industry has been sustained by prepaid in the high growth markets. Lower ARPU is complemented by a Mass Market penetration. Also, nobody says the price plan for prepaid is cheaper than postpaid. Cost saving here are really the illusion. Count the prepaid subscribers does not make sense. Thhe traffic ( Nb of calls served ...) matter.
Analysis
PS : Followed up Prepaid uptake since 2001 in emerging countries from the world leading Prepaid System billing view.
Worked for Alcatel Lucent ( > 300 millions subs in prepaid )
and Redknee, the leading Converged Billing (prepaid included) provider.
