When Apple launched the iMessage service, many mobile phone operators were surprised to see that Apple was adopting a messaging standard similar to that used by BlackBerry. Then some already worried that the profit will be significantly reduced because users will start sending SMS/MMS via iMessage and will give up the options included in the subscriptions. Well, the fears of mobile phone operators are starting to come true, according to some analysts saying that with some operators, VoIP services such as iMessage, WhatsApp Messenger, Viber, etc. already affect the profit.
Moreover, it is estimated that in the next 5-10 years these services will reduce the profit of mobile operators by up to 20%, but for some we could even talk about 40% of the profit. I for one do not think that things are really that serious, but a decrease in the profit generated by the use of this kind of service is normal, but the increase will come in the field of Internet services because users will need much more traffic and better bandwidth for own applications. Practically the operators lose in one segment but win in another, now it remains to be seen if the loss will be covered or not in the end.
