Boosting the eco-system and avoiding bit-pipe-only

Eco-system of the mobile Internet is shaping rapidly towards services. Consumers are currently paying for the access, end devices and applications (abbreviated as apps). The market in access is moving towards increasing competition and decreasing revenues. Flat rates are becoming a norm, and also free access through open spectrum is under serious considerations. Furthermore, the fundamental app, i.e., telephony using core switches of operators is under stress, as VoIP is being promoted by interested parties. On the other hand, though still a fragmented landscape, the cost of the devices has not gone down at the same rate as access. In fact, smart devices have started defining lifestyles and are more expensive compared to previous generations. New devices are also making an entry, e.g., iPad, leading to new market segments too. All such changes are once again threatening the heavy investments of operators. Even with such change in dynamics, operators still own various assets, which could provide better consumer experience. These assets also bring forth a window of opportunity for the operators to try novel business models. In this paper, we propose one of the feasible paths that could bring balance in the eco-system and also radically change the business dynamics in the mobile Internet eco-system.