RAM Sees Pokemon Go As Potential Catalyst For Mobile Data Consumption

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- The hype over the recently-launched Pokemon Go has the potential to boost mobile consumption in the country and drive data dependency among consumers, said RAM Rating Services Bhd. In a statement Wednesday, the rating agency said, this was based on its observations of the quick traction the smartphone applications (apps) had already gained in Asian markets. "This trend, if sustained, will likely see an increase in data uptake among the most avid gamers, and may require users to upgrade their data plan and/or pay for add-on data packs. "Based on our estimates of each hour of play consuming 10 megabytes of data and around five hours of daily playtime for a small percentage of the most ardent fans, industry revenues may show an uptick of between 0.5-one per cent over the next 12 months, provided that the fad is sustainable," it said. In this regard, RAM said, even if the hype surrounding Pokemon Go was short-lived, it will still set the stage for augmented reality, connection-dependent applications to become mainstream in the future. It said telecommunication companies (telcos) were riding this new wave by 'spicing up' their data packages to include cash rebates and in-game goodies and were even collaborating with GrabCar and Uber to entice mobile subscribers. "While the data usage of Pokemon Go app is not expected to result in any large surges of data requirements on telco networks, it does present an interesting challenge for network architecture of the future, given large amounts of simultaneous usage at very specific locations," it said. Pokemon Go is a location-based augmented reality game. The app was officially launched on July 6, 2016 in Australia, New Zealand and the US, and is now available in over 50 countries worldwide. --BERNAMA