The mobile services revenue in Malaysia is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.1 percent during 2019-2024, from US$5.1 billion in 2019 to US$5.4 billion in 2024, according to GlobalData.
The COVID-19 pandemic will have a significant impact on mobile service revenues in 2020. Mobile services revenues in Malaysia will decline at 6.5 percent in 2020, in line with decline in the mobile average revenue per user (ARPU), with operators offering discounts and free mobile data services to support users during the crisis.
The mobile data segment will see its revenues increase at a CAGR of 2.9 percent over the 2019-2024 period, driven by the steady growth in adoption of higher ARPU post-paid plans. Revenues from mobile voice and mobile messaging segments will decline at CAGR of 4.5 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively, over 2019-2024.
4G will remain the leading mobile technology through the forecast period 2019-2024, driven by investments on 4G network enhancements by operators such as Celcom, Digi Telecommunications and Maxis.
“With all the major mobile service providers preparing for 5G network, GlobalData expects 5G to be commercially launched in 2021,” Deepa Dhingra, telecom analyst at GlobalData, said.
Digi led the mobile services market in 2019, closely followed by Maxis. GlobalData expects Maxis to become the mobile market leader in 2020 and will remain as market leader through 2024, driven by its strong focus on the post-paid segment.
Digi’s focus on network modernization to accelerate the 5G roll-out will help improve its market share in the mobile services market space in Malaysia.
