In the mobile industry, and especially in emerging markets, 2014 will largely see the continuation and acceleration of trends from the previous year: the unstoppable expansion of mobile data networks, increased competition in the low- to mid-range smartphone market, further innovation in the mobile money and mobile banking segments, and growing importance of mobile devices in everyday life, worldwide.

As a satellite communications innovator, we think there are a variety of applications worthy of investment, to meet demands for communications, entertainment, mobility, and convenience.

 I believe investments in system-level vectoring will continue to be on many emerging markets agenda for 2014.

Over-the-top content, VoIP over 3G, location-based services and gaming should see a strong year in many emerging markets.

After years of heavy Capital Investment on Infrastructure, customer acquisition and unsustainable price wars, priority is shifting in 2014 towards Business Optimisation to ensure profitability.

2014 is set to be a watershed year for contextual marketing. We will see service providers continuously engaging with customers and creating long-term goals of customer satisfaction and improving customer loyalty over a number of years.

Over-the-Top (OTT) services should experience strong growth in many emerging markets this year.

This year will be marked by the continuing tide of digital disruption and an accelerating pace of change in the telecom industry. In fact, potentially more of an acceleration than we’ve seen in the past.

Emerging markets are beginning to realize the benefits of IP-centric networks. A single IP network can transport multiple services, including voice, data, and the killer application, video.

Supporting ever-increasing consumer demand for fast and reliable mobile data access, service providers in developing markets are investing heavily in 4G/LTE. Operators continue to focus on ways to generate revenue growth from these significant investments.

Emerging markets are next in line for a data boom, but infrastructure is a big challenge.

Communications service providers (CSPs) in emerging markets achieved double-digit growth in recent years but are facing the ARPU pressures and slowing growth experienced by mature markets over the same timeframe.

If Big Data’s technological potential for new services enablement reached a peak of expectations during last year, 2014’s focus will rely on big data monetization.

Machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, the technology enabling a global mobile Internet of Things, is booming and will continue to attract investment in 2014.

In markets where there is a dominant mobile operator, it is likely that the industry will begin to see wholesale LTE networks being launched in order to address any concerns the operator has regarding the roll out of rural mobile broadband coverage and to assist with the ability to allocate spectrum fairly.

In 2014, JDSU predicts a focus on the notion of self-organization in the mobile backhaul network. 

The newest focus in the wireless industry globally is LTE. GSMA Intelligence expects the number of LTE connections worldwide to pass one billion by 2017.

Scale. It’s the eternal new years resolution, and I’m not talking about losing weight.

There are a number of trends that have the potential to significantly impact telecoms.

2014 will be a breakthrough year for LTE in emerging markets. Where deployed it will begin to have a real impact, dramatically increasing the speed of mobile internet and helping to expand new markets.

2013 saw service providers under serious pressure to differentiate themselves from competitors and deliver innovative new services, whilst also striving to simplify the customer experience, harness big data and optimise operations.

Cloud computing has revolutionised the IT space, offering companies of all sizes easy access to technology over their existing network and allowing many services to be offered on a ‘pay per use’ basis instead of requiring large capital investment.

BBM will soon come preinstalled on a variety of Android-based smartphones from leading OEMs across Africa, India, Indonesia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Data monetisation is still essentially in its infancy. Unlike voice, where the whole industry was built before sophisticated monetisation came into play, operators today are looking for a concept of monetisation that is aligned with today’s consumption.