The Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com) predicts spending on consumer mobile media services consumed via the handset (which excludes tablet spend) including handset browsing, mobile applications, mobile games, mobile music, mobile video, mobile TV, ringtones, wallpapers and alerts will rise from just above US$236 billion in 2013 to approach $380 billion by 2018.

Mobile operators will remain the main beneficiaries with spending on mobile data accounting for over $254 Billion, or 67.3 percent, of total mobile media revenue by 2018. Strong mobile advertising revenue growth will eclipse consumer spend on premium content, rising at just below 20% CAGR (compound annual growth rate) over the next five years.

In advanced mobile media regions, like North America and Western Europe, demand for web browsing, games, apps and social media services will continue to drive mobile data adoption, enabled by the growing installed base of media-centric smartphones. Overall, mobile advertising will become an increasingly important revenue stream, more than doubling to approach $41 billion by 2018, and accounting for nearly 11% percent of mobile media revenue, according to Strategy Analytics.