The comprehensive Mobile Value-Added Services (MVAS) Market Forecast projects a future of continued and accelerated growth, driven by the rollout of next-generation technologies and the deepening integration of mobile services into every facet of daily life. A central pillar of this forecast is the transformative impact of 5G technology. Unlike previous network upgrades which were primarily about speed, 5G promises ultra-low latency, massive connectivity, and network slicing capabilities, which will serve as a catalyst for a new wave of advanced MVAS. The forecast anticipates explosive growth in the cloud gaming segment, where 5G's low latency will enable high-quality, console-level gaming to be streamed directly to smartphones without the need for powerful local hardware. Similarly, immersive experiences powered by Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will become mainstream. This includes AR navigation overlays, interactive virtual showrooms for e-commerce, and immersive social and entertainment experiences in the emerging metaverse. These 5G-enabled services will create entirely new revenue streams and dramatically increase data consumption, benefiting both OTT players and MNOs and serving as a primary engine of market growth in the coming decade.

The forecast also points towards a significant evolution in how mobile content is monetized, moving towards more flexible and user-centric models. While subscription-based models (SVOD, SMOD) will remain popular, there is a predicted rise in hybrid models and micro-monetization. This could include ad-supported tiers for premium services, the use of virtual currencies and digital goods (as seen in gaming and social platforms like TikTok), and the growth of the creator economy, where users can directly support their favorite content creators through tips, subscriptions, or patronage models. The forecast suggests that a one-size-fits-all subscription model will give way to a more fragmented and personalized approach to monetization, allowing service providers to cater to a wider range of consumer budgets and preferences. Furthermore, the integration of commerce directly into content—so-called "contextual commerce"—is expected to become seamless. Imagine being able to instantly buy an outfit worn by an actor in a streaming show or a product featured in a social media post, all with a single tap, creating a frictionless path from discovery to purchase.

Finally, the market forecast underscores the growing importance of emerging economies as the primary drivers of user growth and service innovation. As smartphone affordability increases and mobile data becomes more accessible in regions across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, billions of new users will come online, almost exclusively through mobile devices. For these mobile-first populations, MVAS will not be supplementary services but primary tools for accessing education (m-learning), healthcare (m-health), and financial services (mobile money). The forecast predicts a surge in the development of lightweight, data-efficient, and highly localized services tailored to the specific needs and infrastructure constraints of these markets. This will spur innovation in areas like offline functionality, voice-based interfaces for users with low literacy, and hyper-local content. These regions will not just be consumers of existing services but will become innovation hubs in their own right, creating new MVAS models that could eventually be adopted globally, ensuring the market's long-term dynamism and expansion.