US : As 3G and EDGE networks continue their deployment at a high rate in many parts of the world, network operators are enjoying new ways to profit from their data services.

The next step, according to Ken Hyers, ABI Research's principal analyst of global wireless operator research, is for them to pay more attention to the kind of back-office functions that will further enable data services revenues.

That means making sure that these systems are integrated and are capable of offering real-time billing, billing on behalf of other content providers, and a suite of readily available content. "All the major operators are aware of this," says Hyers. "What this means is that the smaller and regional operators must be looking for ways to remain competitive. If their biggest customers are rolling out these advanced services, they need to be able to offer something similar. But smaller operators are always resource-constrained."

ABI Research's newly updated "Wireless Operators Research Service" provides continuous updates on the world's wireless operators. It includes Research Reports, Market Updates, Industry and Forecast Databases, analyst access, Asia Research reports and Analyst Insights. Topics covered in the new update include prospects for mobile television broadcast services over cellular, Vodafone's sinking fortunes in Japan, and merger mania in the U.S.

Describing the service, Hyers comments, "There is no other data source I'm aware of that provides this level of detail and depth about operator growth, and contracts that operators are awarding to infrastructure providers. If you are an infrastructure provider, you can easily track where the operators are in their technology cycle, and what kinds of equipment and service they'll want to buy. This is of value not just to infrastructure providers, but to services applications providers as well."